Casting The Roddy Piper Film

4. Ric Flair -  Zac Efron

Sam Rockwell Piper 2
WWE/WhatCulture

It might not be a popular casting move, but Zac Efron gets the role of 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair. The former High School Musical star has fleshed out his repertoire in recent years, playing roles as varied as Ted Bundy and Philip Carlyle. The days of Efron being a boyish charmer and nothing else are long gone.

Roddy Piper and Ric Flair are Mount Rushmore characters of the same era. When Flair moved to WWF in 1991, it was no great shock that he immediately feuded with Hot Rod, a continuation of a partnership that thrilled fans in a most vitriolic era. It was Flair who eventually inducted Piper into the WWE Hall of Fame, calling Roddy the 'most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling'.

Some readers might question the age difference here, but it is important to remember that Efron is the same age today as Flair was in the early '80s. Throw in Zac's energetic charisma and undeniably punchable face (a must for any self-respecting heel) and you've got a natural fit for the Dirtiest Player in the Game. Disney to Ted Bundy to Ric Flair is a pretty bizarre career arc too.

Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.