Throughout the late 2000s, after several years toiling away in guest spots on television, Zac Efron, 34, switched to film and made a career for himself based on his image: the good guy, Disney-approved boyfriend as seen in his early roles such as High School Musical, Hairspray, 17 Again, Charlie St. Cloud, and The Lucky One. But by his mid-twenties, like so many of his Disney peers before him, Efron had veered away from his family-friendly past and started acting in more adult-oriented fare. The Paperboy, That Awkward Moment, and Bad Neighbors followed, as did Dirty Grandpa in 2016.
Directed by comedy writer Dan Mazer (Borat), Dirty Grandpa dropped in the winter of 2016 and starred Efron as a lawyer who drives his grandfather, played by Robert De Niro, to Florida during Spring Break. With two incredibly well-known leads and a supporting cast of famous faces, the film made $105 million at the box office, against a budget of $11.5 million.
Dirty Grandpa, however, was universally ripped to shreds by critics, with many proclaiming it to be not only the worst movie De Niro had ever appeared in, but perhaps the worst movie ever made. Dirty Grandpa holds a dismal 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Read on to find out about the celebrity cast that couldn't save this film from one review that said "it seems to have been written and directed by alien life forms who read YouTube comment sections for a week and drew these conclusions about human behavior."
6 Zac Efron's 'Dirty Grandpa' Jockstrap Was Sent To Auction
Efron plays uptight lawyer Jason Kelly, who, one week before marrying his boss's uptight daughter in a bid to further his career, is tricked by his widowed grandfather Dick to drive him to Boca Raton, Florida. Along the way, they meet Shadia, an ex-classmate of Jason, and her friends Bradley and Lenore, who begins a flirtation with Dick. Dick changes his plans in an effort to pursue the girls, resulting in a weekend of debauchery, drug charges, imprisonment, fighting, and homophobia. Bizarrely, a jockstrap worn by Efron was auctioned off along with various other costumes after production wrapped. Five years later, real-life mirrored art as Efron went on a road trip with his real-life grandfather after busting him out of a retirement home to watch a football game together.
5 Why Did Robert De Niro Agree To Star In 'Dirty Grandpa'?
Robert De Niro surprised fans as the crude talking blackmailing Dick Kelly, with many wondering just why he agreed to star in such a shlocky movie in the first place. Co-star Dermot Mulroney suggests "he must have a great sense of humor," adding that in Dirty Grandpa "he’s as funny as we’ve seen him." The bromantic comedy was new ground for esteemed actor De Niro, who has won two Academy Awards and acted in some of the most critically revered films of all time such as The Godfather: Part II, and Raging Bull.
4 Zoey Deutch Says Acting Allows Her To Experience Moments She Missed In Real Life
Like Efron, Zoey Deutch made a name for herself on the Disney Channel. Starring as Maya Bennett on The Suite Life on Deck, Deutch moved to film and starred in YA book adaptations Vampire Academy and Beautiful Creatures before signing on to Dirty Grandpa. Deutch said that starring as Shadia in Dirty Grandpa allowed her to experience going on 'spring break' for the first time, as she never had that experience in her own life. She has since starred as Infinity Jackson in Netflix's The Politician and can be seen in Before I Fall, Why Him?, and the music videos for Justin Bieber's "Anyone" and Ed Sheeran's "Perfect".
3 Aubrey Plaza Filmed A Sex Scene With Robert De Niro
Aubrey Plaza played April Ludgate for six years on NBC's classic sitcom Parks and Recreation. In Dirty Grandpa, her character Lenore wants to sleep with a college professor, prompting De Niro's Dick to lie and say that is his profession. During the filming of their sex scene, Plaza learned that De Niro does not like to have his nipples stimulated. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor explained how the script didn't specify any particular act to play out, so she tried a number of different things. "He was, like, batting me away," she told the talk show host. "Then [the director] called me back, and he’s like, 'Bob does not like his nipple area paid attention to. So don’t do that!'"
2 'Dirty Grandpa' Was A Dream Role For Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney is one of those actors whose name you may not recognize, but you've certainly seen him on-screen before. People will approach Mulroney and say "'you play in the movies, right?' Or, 'you’re that guy from that thing, and I say 'yes'' and then we smile and go about our day," the actor told The Hollywood News while promoting Dirty Grandpa. For Mulroney, star of The Wedding Date, and My Best Friend's Wedding, acting in Dirty Grandpa was a dream role come true. "Movies where you really get grossed out; the raunchiest of raunchy humor, those are great movies and I’m proud to be in one," the actor said. "I couldn't believe it when I got tasered and graffitied and dragged off into the adventure." Mulroney plays David Kelly in the film, father to Efron's Jason and son to De Niro's Dick.
1 Julianne Hough Played Zac Efron's Onscreen Fiancée
Julianne Hough plays Meredith, Jason's uptight and controlling fiancée. When she first read the script, Hough's initial reaction was "wow, Robert De Niro has some big cajones!" She described her character, Meredith, as being totally "bat**** crazy." Hough is a true triple threat, known in different circles around the world for her success across television, music, and film. She became an overnight household name in 2007 after she joined ABC's Dancing With The Stars, alongside her brother Derek, as a professional, for which she has won an Emmy Award for Best Choreography. She can also be seen in the films Safe Haven, Footloose, Rock of Ages, and Burlesque, and even had an uncredited appearance as a Hogwarts schoolgirl in the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
