Zac Efron’s cringeworthy chat-up line to Nicole Kidman in new Netflix rom com A Family Affair leaves Aussie viewers rolling their eyes
Zac Efron left his Australian fans rolling their eyes with his cringe-worthy opening line in his new Netflix rom-com A Family Affair.
The 36-year-old American actor took on the role of dim-witted LA movie star Chris Cole in an age-gap romance, with Australian megastar Nicole Kidman playing his love interest.
Nicole, 57, plays Brook Harwood, the mother of his patient assistant Zara (Joey King), who unexpectedly falls in love with Chris after a chance meeting.
They first meet when Chris visits Zara to rehire her, as she has had enough of his shallow behaviour, but instead he runs into her mother Nicole.
Chris immediately shows his attraction to him and then starts a flirtatious conversation in which he tries to get to know Brook better. This is the beginning of their romance.
Yet viewers Down Under couldn’t stand to hear a creepy opening line that was the ultimate Australian stereotype.
After hearing Brooks’ Australian accent, Chris asks her, “Do I sense an accent, like a South African accent or?”
Brook clarifies her accent and then confirms, “No, I’m Australian.”
Zac Efron left his Australian fans rolling their eyes with his embarrassing opening line in his new Netflix romcom A Family Affair
He played the role of film star Chris Cole, while Australian Nicole Kidman played his love interest Brook Harwood. In an awkward line, he asked her if she knew Margot Robbie.
In one painful line, Chris asks, “Do you know Margot Robbie?”, seemingly referencing the stereotype that everyone knows each other Down Under.
After clarifying that she doesn’t actually know the Barbie actress – since Brook isn’t a celebrity herself – movie star Chris says, “Mmm. I do.”
The line was also a joke about the fact that Hollywood star Nicole actually knows Margot, 34, in real life, as they previously starred in a film together.
The two Australian actresses have frequently worked together and starred in the 2019 thriller Bombshell, alongside South African star Charlize Theron.
A Family Affair dropped on Netflix on June 28, but Nicole recently revealed that the age-gap romantic comedy originally had a much more explicit title.
Besides being a cliché, the line was also a joke about the fact that Hollywood star Nicole actually knows Margot, 34, in real life. They both starred in 2019’s Bombshell.
She recently revealed to People: ‘Originally it had a different title. It was called Motherf***er. Squeaked out. Somehow that didn’t make it onto the Netflix title.’
But Zac said the bold title drew people’s attention to the script, adding: “It kept the script at the top of the pile. It’s like, what the hell can this be about?”
Nicole and Zac’s on-screen reunion has been hotly anticipated after they previously starred as lovers in the 2012 crime drama The Paperboy.
However, their new romantic comedy divided viewers, with fans expecting more steamy scenes and romantic action in the film.