Dave Franco recently shared the story of an intense scene from the film Neighbors that led to Zac Efron dislocating his thumb.
This incident occurred during the filming of the 2014 comedy, which also starred Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne.
The movie follows the lives of a couple, Mac and Kelly Radner (played by Rogen and Byrne), who face unexpected challenges when a loud college fraternity, led by characters Teddy Sanders and Pete Regazolli (portrayed by Efron and Franco), moves in next door.
Franco recounted the details of Efron’s injury on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast last week.
This revelation comes alongside the release of Franco’s newest film, Together, a body horror featuring his wife Alison Brie, which hit US theaters on July 30.
Zac Efron had previously described the scene’s mishap during a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Curious about how the incident occurred, Cooper asked Franco about the moment in the film where Efron ‘grabs’ Franco’s crotch.
Franco clarified the situation, saying: “It definitely wasn’t because my penis was hard.”
Reflecting on the scene, Franco added: “I’m trying to remember if I was wearing a cup and he came in just really strong.”
“There’s a scene where I think we’re both grabbing each other’s crotches at the same time. And I just think he came in with enough force from the wrong angle,” he continued.
Cooper jokingly suggested that some might believe Franco was ‘randomly hard on set’, which prompted Franco to recall the specific scene more clearly.
Detailing the scene, Franco explained: “[Efron] grabs my crotch and we’re both holding on like – who’s gonna let go first? And then my character actually, to get him to let go, I have a trick where I go ‘zen’ and I know how to get hard on cue.”
“So, I do get hard in this hand. That’s what makes him let go,” he elaborated.
Curious, Cooper asked: “And can you do that in your real life?”
Franco replied with a laugh: “No.”
Franco also shared insights about working on Together with Brie. The film explores a co-dependent relationship where the couple becomes physically ill when separated.
Reflecting on the project, Franco mentioned: “I feel like if me and Alison do this together, our real relationship will actually lend itself really well to this relationship in the movie – where when you’re watching us, you will hopefully feel the weight of the relationship, because the characters in the movie have been together for over a decade.”
The couple’s real-life relationship began in 2011 when they met at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, introduced by a mutual friend.
After years of dating, Franco proposed with a vintage ring and a Zorro mask, leading to their marriage in 2017.
Since then, they have collaborated on multiple projects, including The Rental, Somebody I Used to Know, and The Disaster Artist.
Together is currently showing in US theaters and will be released in UK cinemas on August 15.