Zac Efron would like the world to know that he has mad respect for the man, the actor, the activist, Leonardo DiCaprio. On Thursday, Efron posted an adorable throwback Instagram of the pair at a Lakers game in Los Angeles back in 2008. "RESPECT to @leonardodicaprio for his tireless work fighting for our environment #?????? #LDF #InstagramKindnessDay #TBT." (Um, is #InstagramKindnessDay an actual thing?)
Efron's random show of love for the 42-year-old, a strident environmental activist, is endearing. It's also nothing new. The star of the upcoming Baywatch remake has been DiCaprio's biggest fan for nearly a decade now. "He's a cool guy and he is helpful," Efron told MTV of their casual friendship back in 2009. "I ask him questions every once in a while, and he gives advice to the best of his abilities, but he's not like a life coach."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Around the same time, Efron spoke to GQ about getting advice from his idol. "I thought I was gonna ask him questions," Efron said. "He ended up asking me questions, and in that, he told me a lot. He said, 'There's one way that you can really fuck this all up. Just do heroin. If you steer clear of that — the other obstacles you'll be able to navigate.' And that makes sense, dude." Deep, man.
Later that year, Efron gushed again about the star to The Times. "It’s amazing to see actors who have been able to sustain this for so long and keep positive, still focused on the work, still trying to make their best film,” he said.
How sweet is that? And it looks like all these years later, his admiration hasn't faded. Maybe the pair will hit even up another basketball game sometime soon.