Robert Pattinson vs. Zac Efron

It’s no secret that I have a huge crush on Robert Pattinson. And for some reason it continually surprises me when I realize that he and Zac Efron are so close in age. Not only that, but they’ve had a similar career path and are both set to star in two of the most anticipated movies of the year! I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast the two…

Starting Out:
Both actors started out with roles in plays and theater before moving into television. Robert had a stint in Ring of the Nibelungs in 2004 while Zac had roles on ER, CSI Miami and Summerland, starting in 2003.

Zac and Robert are both musically inclined. Zac has taken singing and piano lessons and performed all his own vocals in Hairspray. Robert sings and plays both the guitar and piano – and he has a single on the Twilight soundtrack.

Defining Roles:
In November, 2005 Robert Pattinson starred as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Not two months later Zac Efron starred as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. Both of these films were probably the defining moments in these young actors’ careers – launching them into the public eye.

And now, almost three years later, both actors are in the spotlight yet again. Zac continues to play Troy Bolton in the already successful High School Musical 3: Senior Year, while Robert will be playing Edward Cullen in the much anticipated Twilight.

The Future:
Both of the actors have several upcoming projects in the works, although strangely enough they both have starring roles in movies set in the 1920s. Robert plays Salvadore Dali in the upcoming movie, Little Ashes and Zac has the lead role in Me and Orson Welles.

Personal Life:
While Zac and Robert both have to deal with screaming girls and the paparazzi chasing them everywhere, they both deal with their fame and fans differently.

Robert appears to be an introvert and shies away from being a celebrity. He says that he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that role. “It’s just a certain amount of acceptance, I guess.” Zac is quite the opposite, seemingly very comfortable in interviews and with screaming fans surrounding him … although he has been known to run from the paparazzi!

The two also seem to portray the stereotypical good kid and bad kid. Zac is squeaky clean and has dated just one girl in the spotlight, Vanessa Hudgens, for several years now. He has never been linked to a scandal and barely even mentions having a drink on his 21st birthday. When he was younger Zac says that he would “flip out” if he got a ‘B’ and not an ‘A’ in school!

Robert is quite the opposite, publicly recalling his time living in a “cool little ex-crack den” in London with best friend Tom Sturridge. “We spent the better part of a year just getting drunk every night,” Robert admits. He’s also been linked with dating a couple of models, but has not yet admitted to having a girlfriend in public. Rob was quite the troublemaker when he was younger. “I got expelled from my school when I was 12; I was quite bad!”

Both Rob and Zac like to ski and snowboard

So do you have a favorite?

Images Credited to Newscom and Nikki Katz