Zac Efron Says 'Friends Come and Go' While Admitting He 'Learned This the Hard Way'

Zac Efron has an important — though cryptic — piece of advice to share.

“In a world where we swipe left and swipe right and you meet people, friends come and go, you really should pay attention to who you’re with,” Efron, 31, told Entertainment Tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival screening of his new film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Thursday night.

“I learned this [lesson] the hard way,” Efron continued. “And hopefully nobody else has to.”

RELATED: Everything to Know About Zac Efron’s Ted Bundy Film — Including the Controversy Surrounding It

Although he did not elaborate, it’s possible that the horrifyingly true storyline behind his new biopic and character, Ted Bundy, got Efron thinking about the people he cares for most.

Since premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in January, the film has faced controversy — the loudest being that the film glorifies Bundy. However, one survivor of Bundy’s unimaginable crimes feels otherwise.

RELATED: Ted Bundy Survivor Responds to Controversy Over Zac Efron’s Portrayal of Serial Killer

“I believe that in order to show him exactly the way he was, it’s not really glorifying him, but it’s showing him, and when they do say positive and wonderful things about him…that’s what they saw, that’s what Bundy wanted you to see,” Kathy Kleiner Rubin, who was 20 years old at Florida State University when Bundy crept into her bedroom at 3 a.m. and beat her and her roommate with a club, told TMZ.

And Efron told ET that he isn’t paying attention to the critics or reading reviews. The actor is content with the work he and the film’s director, Joe Berlinger, accomplished — which was to create a captivating film and “not to celebrate the man … or his horrific acts.”

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will be available on Netflix, May 3.