Dylan Efron says it was a “full circle” moment having brother Zac Efron in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom.
“It means everything. I grew up watching him do stuff like this,” Dylan, 33, told Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, November 18, following the semi-final episode. “Looking over, my family’s there, my girlfriend. Just seeing all of them together, that’s my support.”
Zac, 38, made a surprise appearance in the DWTS ballroom on Tuesday, watching his little brother make it to the season 34 finale.
Dylan and his partner, Daniella Karagach, performed a tango to “I Would Die 4 U,” receiving a 27 out of 30, and a cha-cha to “Kiss,” receiving a 28 out of 30, during Prince Night.
Dylan Efron Gets ‘High School Musical’ Support at ‘DWTS’ Amid Zac’s Absence
“I’ve got talent now because of Dani!” Dylan told ET, referring to a comment he made during his intro package about feeling like he was “in a talent show with no talent.”
Karagach chimed in, adding, “No, you had talent. You’ve had it this whole time. I’m trying to bring it out.”
In a separate interview with Access Hollywood on Tuesday, Karagach discussed how they’re going to raise the bar for their finale performances.
“I have a really good friend helping me,” she teased. “I’ve never, personally, done this style before for a freestyle and I just feel like Dylan is the perfect person for it.”
Throughout the entire DWTS season, Dylan has been asked about his big brother possibly making an appearance in the ballroom.
“Hey, he’s doing his thing,” he told Extra last month when asked about Zac’s absence. Dylan made it clear at the time that Zac was “supporting me every day,” even though he wasn’t physically there.
That all changed this week when the camera panned to Dylan’s family and friends in the crowd — including the High School Musical star. Zac also had their 5-year-old sister, Olivia, sitting on his lap.
Dylan Efron Says Using Zac’s Song for DWTS’ Dedication Night ‘Made Sense’
Olivia previously made waves in the ballroom when she danced with Dylan on Dedication Night to Zac and Zendaya’s The Greatest Showman song “Rewrite the Stars.”
“This is a nod to my brother,” Dylan said ahead of the performance last month. “Zac’s always taken care of me and he did things that were so selfless. I wanna be that to Olivia, I wanna be the best role model I can.”
While fans immediately fell in love with Olivia, it was Zac’s highly anticipated appearance that broke the internet. (Even DWTS host Julianne Hough couldn’t help herself when it came to snapping a photo with Zac in the crowd.)
Fans have since dissected every moment of the former Disney Channel star’s DWTS cameo. One eagle-eyed viewer caught Zac asking his mom, Starla Baskett, about Dylan and Daniella’s scores after they received all nines, cheering harder after her response.
While Tuesday night was Zac’s first official appearance in the ballroom, his presence has been felt throughout the entire season.
“My brother is supportive,” Dylan told Us Weekly exclusively in September. “He’s like, ‘The best part is going to be those live shows.’ He was saying, like, it’s such a good feeling.”
