The mark of a good actor is being able to inhabit their character's skin so completely that you forget they're acting and actually believe their character is real.
Think Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, Ed Norton in 25th Hour, Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, Jamie Foxx in Ray... the list goes on.
But here's one transformation we didn't see coming - Zac Efron with dreadlocks and a beard.
Advert
Yes, you read that right - the clean-cut, American as apple pie, Disney/High School Musical star has posted a picture of himself on Instagram with dreadlocks and a beard. Dreadlocks and a beard.
No matter how many times we write that, it just doesn't make sense.
Weird, right? The thing is, it's not even for a role he's playing. According to his caption, the look is 'just for fun'. He even put a little devil horn emoji next to those words to show us how much of a rockstar he is.
Except it seems to have backfired a little bit. For a start, he's already had some people pointing out that the look might not be his strongest.
Advert
Something which might concern the actor a little more is the issue of cultural appropriation - which naturally led to a heated debate in the comments, on Twitter and beyond. Obviously, political issues like this are always liable to wind people up, and the Internet has always been the main receptacle for tense discussion.
Still, to say some people were disappointed is an understatement:
Advert
However, for others the key issue came down to whether he looked hot or not with his new hair. Some thought he did, others thought he didn't.
And that's how one man managed to spark a debate which straddles both the burning sociological issues of the day and the way some people are happy to sidestep such controversies as long as there's an opportunity for a heart-eyed emoji.
Advert
To think, all Zefron had to do here was saddle himself with a barnet that makes him look like the frontman of a dreadful late 90s rap-metal band.
What a time to be alive.
Featured Image Credit: InstagramTopics: Celebrity, US Entertainment, Politics