These days, Zac Efron is living away from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Back in 2021, the actor sold his $5.3 million mansion in Los Angeles and made his way to Australia, which he now calls home. And while Efron is now living thousands of miles away, he has also been keeping busy.
Aside from starring in the Apple TV+ film The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Efron also recently worked on the second season of his Netflix docuseries Down to Earth with Zac Efron. And while the show has always been on the quest of promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, it also worked on cutting back on its own carbon footprint while filming season 2.
Zac Efron’s Move To Australia Inspired The ‘Down Under’ Theme For Season 2
During the first season, Efron and wellness expert Darin Olien traveled to various cities around the world to discover how they are working towards a more sustainable future for their people. This time around, the team essentially stayed put. Instead of going from country to country, Efron and his team went around Australia instead.
“This time, we're taking a deep dive into the sixth largest country in the world — Australia,” the actor says on the show. “With a unique variety of biomes, climates and organisms, we're covering as much territory as we can.”
As it turns out, there was also a lot of ground to cover down under. “We'll be visiting some of the top innovators - all seeking to find cleaner, better and more sustainable ways of living - and using the lessons learned on this continent to serve as the microcosm for the entire planet,” Efron continued.
And while the show could have chosen to travel around the world once again for its second season, recent circumstances convinced them to stay in one country as several cities went into COVID-19 lockdown.
“It wasn’t really a time when a travel show could be shot for the most part,” showrunner Michel Simkin explained. “But we realized the episodes [should] be about topics, and to use one whole country — [that’s also] a continent — [is] a pretty good microcosm [for] the world.”
As they started filming around Australia, Simkin and his team also realized that they can’t even cover everything in just a single season.
“Our real issue was cutting it down,” he explained. “Once we dove in, there was so much. And we couldn’t even make it to the Outback because of the restrictions on travel at that time.”
The Show Also Worked On Reducing Its Carbon Footprint For Season 2, Here’s How
Throughout filming the show, Simkin, Efron, and the rest of the team also worked hard to reducing its production’s carbon footprint. Sure, not having to take planes helped, but they also wanted to make more earth-conscious choices as they moved around.
For instance, for their meals, the team opted for takeout places that promote sustainable packaging. “We tried to find restaurants that are local and [where, in] places when you’re picking up for 20 people to go, it’s not just plastic [on top of] plastic,” Simkin said. “Australians are a lot more conscious in general. You just see a lot less plastic out there.”
And when it came to their transport, Simkin and team struck a partnership with Hyundai, trading “massive vans” for hybrid SUVs, specifically Hyundai’s all-electric IONIQ 5.
“As the theme of Down to Earth with Zac Efron aligns closely with IONIQ 5’s sustainability message, we believe the EV’s eco-friendliness will be well-represented in a native and natural manner,” Thomas Schemera, Hyundai Motor Company’s Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Division, said in a statement.
“We are delighted to share in this partnership opportunity and eager to deliver the message that one small action can make a big difference for the planet. It just goes to show that IONIQ 5’s demonstration of environmental responsibility doesn’t stop with electrification.”
Where Down To Earth Is Going Next
Much like the first season, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from the show’s eight season 2 episodes. But at the end of the day, the key takeaway here is that sustainable practices would also improve everyone’s daily lives overall.
“At the end of the day, we all want the best quality of life for ourselves and for our kids and future,” Simkin said. “We should be a little bit scared. But we should also be incredibly excited because all these problems are not only things that can get solved, but also are things that are leading to great things — whether it’s a better-tasting tomato or having a lower cost for electricity.”
As for Efron, it looks like he’s going to remain in Australia for the foreseeable future with Simkin noting that the actor “genuinely fell in love with it. Since moving, Efron has also settled in nicely. “He’d been there a lot for press and tours and traveled there personally, and he now has a group of friends and a community out there.”
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