Mild spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 2.
If you've started watching the second season of Netflix's already-cult classic Stranger Things, you might have seen a character who looks a lot like Zac Efron.
Unfortunately for fans of High School Musical, that's not actually the Baywatch star in Hawkins. It's Australian actor Dacre Montgomery, playing new Stranger Things character Billy. But it's not hard to see why fans were confused — Montgomery's eyes and eyebrows bear a striking resemblance to Efron's. (If you ask me, there's a resemblance to John Stamos in there, too.)
Plus, age-wise, Montgomery's casting makes a lot more sense than Efron's would have. The Stranger Things star is 22, while Efron is 30. That's a bit old to play a high schooler, and Efron seems more than ready to leave his high school roles in the past.
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I swear to god Zac Efron is in the first two minutes of Stranger Things: S2. I SWEAR. It’s not. BUT I SWEAR IT IS.
— Justine Kopischke (@skafdjustine) October 27, 2017
Zac Efron’s look alike is in #StrangerThings. That mullet does not look good on him.
— spooky mulder (@jasmyntwo) October 27, 2017
At the Stranger Things press junket on Sunday, Montgomery also revealed the secret to nabbing his role during a conversation with Refinery29's Kaitlin Reilly. Apparently, dancing to Duran Duran in a thong made for a successful audition.
"I made a little short film, with an opening score and title credits, and I read both of the scenes I was given...I danced in a g-string to 'Hungry Like The Wolf' [by Duran Duran]," Montgomery told Refinery29. "It was kind of crazy. I got a call, and I was supposed to do a test the next week. I Skyped the Duffer Brothers on Sunday and got a call on Monday that I got the part. So I was in Australia, and three weeks later I moved to America."
Montgomery also admitted that if the Duffer Brothers hadn't liked his unconventional idea, well, he might "have never worked in this industry again." Luckily, though, things worked out for him; now he gets to play a character who might be remembered as one of the most lovable bullies on TV.
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