Meeting the (Italian) Zac Efron: Crowds go crazy at Rome premiere of 'HSM 3'

11/14/08 - Children screaming, moms creeping and grandmothers pushing. This was clearly the "High School Music 3" red carpet walk for the film's Italian premier. I arrived at the Rome Film festival at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, to watch the photo call for actor Cordin Bleu and actress Ashlee Tisdale.

When the photo call ended at noon, we left the cinema and saw people lined up along the red carpet. We assumed that someone would be coming out to walk the red carpet soon, so we asked a little girl who was waiting. She responded in Italian that she was waiting for Bleu and Tisdale to walk the red carpet at 4:30 p.m.. These kids were waiting for four and a half hours for their childhood idols.

So when I got to the red carpet at 3:30 for the 4:30 p.m. walk, I wasn't surprised at all. Crowds of children were waiting outside the red carpet in hopes of getting an autograph, a picture or at least a glimpse of their idols. I knew I wouldn't see anything from the side of the red carpet unless I started throwing some elbows at these kids (who were barely up to my waist), so I headed inside to wait by the entrance that they would enter through.

With a half hour to show time, the pre-red carpet events began. A choir of singers walked out onto the carpet wearing graduation gowns- which was appropriate considering the movie would be ending with a graduation scene. Following the choir, out came the Italian Zac Efron. And when I say the Italian Zac Efron-I mean the Italian Zac Efron. He sings Efron's songs from the HSM movies in Italian.

He was nearly the same height, thin and had the same shaggy hair going on; however, the voices were no match. Even so, the little girls surrounding me began screaming and shoving. As he finished singing a song, he made his way to walk into the auditorium. To my left stood a mom who seemed star-struck as she got her digital camera ready for Jacopo Sarno (a.k.a Mr. Italian Zac Efron).

Behind me, I had a pamphlet nearing my face and poking me, almost causing a paper cut to my eye. I looked back and I saw a grandma shoving and waving the pamphlet that was going to make me wear a patch over my eye for the rest of my life -and this was just for the Italian Efron.

I began to worry what would happen when Tisdale and Bleu walked in.

In my head I proclaimed that soon, "shit was going to hit the fan." Sure enough, when Tisdale and Bleu entered the red carpet, it did indeed hit the fan. The pushing became worse, the pamphlets to my face increased and I suddenly felt like I was stuck in a movie about a 20 year old girl being killed by a raging grandmother at the premier of a Disney movie. Sure, guns and knives are scary, but they're nothing like those grandmas.

Tisdale and Bleu made their way into the auditorium and rushed through without stopping. I was lucky enough to get a picture, but of course Tisdale's eyes were shut. She must have been blinded by the thousands of digital cameras going off and deafened by the encores of yelling children (and grandmas). Mr. Bleu gave a wave. Then the floodgates were opened, and the crowd rushed to give their tickets to enter the movie theater.

Sarno walked into the theater and girls began screaming again. He sat down to watch the movie with the crowd.

An hour and a-half later, I found myself jetting out as the closing credits were about to come on. I went for the nearest door, and realized I had just left through a fire exit. No problem. I figured if I just kept walking I'd get out somehow.

Then I realized standing in front of me with a private car was none other than the Italian Efron. He had security standing next to him and I had my camera out as I approached him. I realized this was my first real one-on-one experience with a star without hundreds of fans screaming in the background.

I didn't even know who the guy was until two hours prior. I said "Scusi," and his security guard shook his head at me. "Un complimento," I said, and Sarno turned around. I tried to make words in Italian but all that came out was a bunch of jibberish that didn't sound like any language, let alone Italian or English. I finally completed my thought by saying, "Io parlo Inglese."

He responded slowly, "I speak English too," and laughed at me. Sheepishly I ended the night by telling him he has a great voice (even if it is no match for the real Efron) and best of luck.

Then I walked away basking in the glory of meeting at least one star for the night-even if I couldn't say a word to him.