Actor Zac Efron is getting serious about finding a woman to settle down with as he approaches his 30th birthday.
The Neighbors star split from his most recent girlfriend, model Sami Miro, last spring (16) after nearly two years together, and as he looks for a new love interest, Zac admits he is more inclined to only consider dating ladies who are in it for the long-haul.
“I didn’t think much about settling down until recently,” he tells Cosmopolitan magazine. “Now that I’m getting closer to my 30s, I’m around some great relationships and I’ve seen expert couples at work.”
Zac, who turns 30 in October (17), adds, “I’m realizing that you have to find your own happiness before you can make somebody else happy.”
His comments emerge four years after his two 2013 stints in rehab to conquer his secret struggles with drug and alcohol addictions.
Meanwhile, the actor reveals any potential girlfriend has to impress both Zac and his brother Dylan, because the 25-year-old’s opinion is one the star can always count on.
“If I’m dating someone, one of the few people I need to weigh in on the situation is my brother,” says Zac, who dated his High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens from 2005 to 2010 and was briefly linked to Fast & Furious star Michelle Rodriguez.
“We live together, and we’re different in a lot of ways, but he’s really grounded. He lived a more normal life than I did growing up, so he’s a great barometer for me. He’ll be like, ‘Are you sure you’re happy? Is this what you really want?’ Having my little brother around is a really great thing.”
And Zac needs the extra support – he previously confessed he is “not great” at dating, although when he does get it right, the romantic encounter tends to turn into a long-term relationship.
“I’ve been on a few (dates), and they’ve all been successful,” he told Australia’s The Fix last year (16). “That’s the problem. I just don’t f**k them up often.”
