When I heard that Zac Efron was going to be New York today promoting "New Years Eve" on various different morning television shows like the "Today" show and "Live! With Kelly Ripa," it was a no-brainer.
I was going to meet Zac if my life depended on it.
Needless to say I set my alarm (for 4:30 a.m. – yuck!) last night and was fully prepared to go to any necessary extreme today to see Zac's beautifully coifed hair up close and in person.
The morning didn't exactly get off to a great start. I slept through my alarm's loud music and obnoxious beeping until 5:30 a.m., setting me back an hour. For those of you that haven't experienced "Today"'s Rockefeller Center set, every morning at 6:30, they open the barricaded area around the plaza to a waiting crowd of fans and tourists. So I only had one hour to get ready and get to the plaza in time to find an spot on the barricade that would give me the best possible chance for a picture with Zac.
Oh, and did I mention it was pouring outside?
For a brief moment, I considered admitting defeat and staying home. But this was my Zac Efron day, rain or shine.
I arrived at Rockefeller Center at 6:45 and, of course, the poncho and umbrella covered crowd had already been let into the plaza, but there weren't many of them. Still, between the rain and unusually small crowd, chances of Matt Lauer bringing the guests outside were minimal. I was seriously missing my warm, dry bed when I stepped into a deli to grab cup of coffee and reassess my plan.
I took a risk and ditched the plaza, opting to hang out by the lobby entrance to the studio instead. Hiding under my umbrella, I crossed my fingers and hoped for a real Disney miracle.
At 8:15, a big black SUV pulled up and the handful of photographers who had been hiding around the corner all started to shuffle towards it. Assuming it was Zac arriving, I made sure I had my camera in hand and ready to go, and waited patiently for him to get out of the SUV and head my way.
When a bunch of people got out of the car, none of whom were Zac, I was pretty bummed ... until I saw Michelle Pfeiffer step up onto the sidewalk. She was surrounded by everyone who had gotten out of the car before her, and her head was down which told me she didn't want to be bothered as she made her way in the building, but it was still amazing! It's not every day Michelle Pfeiffer walks passed you, you know.
My excitement escalated when a town car pulled up and the photographers started to shuffle forward again. This time it was actually Zac! In the flesh! As dreamy as you would imagine! Even in the rain, his hair was perfect.
He gave the photographers a quick wave and headed for the door, but not before taking a quick moment to stop and snap a picture with me. I told him how excited I am to see "New Years Eve."
"That's awesome," he said. "Thanks so much for coming out in the rain this morning."
Sigh.
And now it's naptime for me. I'll surely be having sweet dreams though.
Like many of you, Professional Fan Girl Lauren Cox has always had a fascination with movie stars. She's turned her hobby – hitting premieres and other events in New York City to meet them – into a blog, and now a NextMovie column. Keep up with her adventures meeting celebs by following her on Twitter.
