Zac Efron has opened up about the acting talents of Metallica frontman James Hetfield, claiming he “absolutely nailed” his role in the new Ted Bundy biopic.

Early in 2018, it was revealed that James Hetfield had been picked to star in the upcoming film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile.

Named for a judge’s remarks during Ted Bundy’s sentencing for numerous murders, Hetfield was tapped to play the role of “no-nonsense Utah highway patrol Officer Bob Hayward, who was the first officer to arrest Bundy after pulling the serial killer over.”

Since then, we’ve received the trailer for the film, giving a brief preview of Hetfield’s acting chops, but with Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile set for widespread release this week, lead actor Zac Efron has now explained how impressed he was with the Metallica frontman’s skills.

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Efron revealed how he was not only amazed by the rocker’s talent, but also a little starstruck as well.

Check out Zac Efron praising James Hetfield for his acting skills:

“He comes on the set, and it’s one of the more pivotal moments,” Zac Efron recalled. “It’s the moment that Ted actually got caught for the first time — he ran a stop sign. And James Hetfield plays the policeman that picks him up.”

“And James Hetfield, to his credit, he came in and absolutely nailed the part, he just crushed it.”

“It’s like he’d been acting his whole life. He had no fear. He did a great job,” he continued. “I was ready to maybe give James Hetfield [an acting] tip, but he didn’t ask for a single one. James Hetfield is the shit!”

“Of all the stories about Ted Bundy, I never knew he was arrested by Metallica,” joked host Jimmy Kimmel, at one point, causing Zac Efron to gush over the rocker’s skills.

“It was so cool hearing the words,” he explained. “Even though I was acting … when I got pulled over by James Hetfield, it was kinda like a dream come true. [For] a lot of dudes, it would be their dream come true.”

In related news, Metallica are set to return to Australia later this year for a headline tour with nu-metal icons Slipknot. No word yet as to whether James Hetfield will be acting in any local films during his trip down under, but there’s still plenty of time to find out.

Check out the trailer for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile:

Metallica’s WorldWired Australia Tour 2019

With special guests Slipknot

Thursday, October 17th

Optus Stadium, Perth, WA

Sunday, October 20th

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, SA

Tuesday October 22nd (Sold Out)

Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, VIC

Thursday October 24th

Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, VIC

Saturday October 26th

ANZ Stadium, Sydney, NSW

Tuesday, October 29th

QSAC, Brisbane, QLD

Thursday, October 31st (Sold Out)

Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ

Saturday, November 2nd

Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ