When I spy Dylan Efron in the studio for his Cosmopolitan shoot, my first thought is, He looks like a Backstreet Boy (complimentary). My second thought? He’s really good at this. Posing in a white tank and jeans, Dylan is loose enough to move around and flex his biceps but just self-aware enough that you can see him blush when the room, already buzzing with giddiness, reacts appreciatively. It’s this confident yet bashful nature that makes him so appealing to viewers of The Traitors. Well, that, and his shirtless workout scene. We’re only human, after all.
Before The Traitors, Dylan grew a following as a travel influencer with a popular YouTube channel and Instagram page, but you probably knew him as Zac Efron’s outdoorsy little brother from Down to Earth With Zac Efron (which he produced and appeared in). It’s a title he wears with pride, telling Cosmopolitan, “I love my brother. I’m so proud of him, and if anything, it’s helped me with my career, so I have no issue with people calling me Zac’s little brother.”
He may look and sound exactly like the High School Musical star—“when Zac and I are on a call with our family, we confuse ourselves,” he admits—but unlike Zac, Dylan didn’t get to Hollywood until adulthood. After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in economics and trying out a 9-to-5, his love for the outdoors and storytelling led him to work both behind and in front of the camera. “I’m just open to learning and I love storytelling,” he says. “That’s turned into YouTube and social media.” His proudest accomplishment is a five-episode YouTube docuseries about his trip to Guyana.
As a professional wanderer, he’s done it all (except visit all seven continents—he had to cancel his trip to Africa to film the show). The Traitors is just another adventure, akin to jumping out of a plane or swimming with sharks, if the sharks were named Bob the Drag Queen and Tom Sandoval. Speaking to Cosmo just four weeks into season 3 hitting Peacock, Dylan Efron dished on surviving The Traitors round tables, his relationship with Boston Rob Mariano, and what the cameras missed completely.
As a travel influencer you’ve been in front of the camera a lot, but never on this scale. What made you take the leap to reality TV now?
I’ve always respected acting so much because I’ve watched my brother act. It’s a skill set and you have to practice it, and [Traitors] is more what I do. I play myself on YouTube and on social media, and I’m comfortable with myself. So stepping into reality TV felt like the same direction I was already going in. This, to me, was like a dream. Getting to play kids games on the biggest level there is.
How did you prepare to be on The Traitors?
I watched all the seasons. I watched the UK version, the Australia version. So I had seen a lot of different gameplay play out. I was pretty confident with my game going in, but it changed as soon as I got there.
How so? What was your strategy when you first entered the castle?
If you watch Sam Asghari, that was my strategy. I really wanted to come in, play a quiet game, and fly under the radar. What I didn’t expect is how close you get to everybody in the castle.
That first episode [was filmed over] a week. I was super close to Wells [Adams], so when people started ganging up on Wells, I’m fighting my internal self being like, No, stay quiet. Stay quiet. I’m like, What’d you say about him? I had to speak out, and then the next thing I knew, I couldn’t resist, I was just speaking out at every round table.
I was worried for you going after Bob the Drag Queen so openly, so early.
I knew I didn’t have the support. Bob was really well loved in the castle—by me, by everybody—and I would say his name to people and they would just brush it off like, “Dylan, there’s no chance he’s a Traitor.” And I knew that I had said it to enough people that I needed to say it at the round table to really get it out there to hopefully make it so he couldn’t murder me.
I was pretty confident that he was a Traitor, and if I put it out to everybody that he was my target, I thought it might give me safety for the next night. That was my biggest concern. I didn’t think I was going to get banished, but I was afraid of being murdered. So I put that target out there even though I knew I was going to get owned. And that was the most brutal part. I knew before I even opened my mouth that this was going to get bad quickly.
Or good, depending on how you see it.
Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t expecting to get a nickname from it.
We love Miss Guided. And your confrontations with Bob the Drag Queen were some of the most iconic moments of the season.
Trust me, I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t think anyone in America was.
Well, I think it’s fair to say you’re one of the best players of the season. You seem to be the only one not going completely off vibes. We saw Nikki banished purely off vibes. So, in your expert opinion, how does one avoid giving off Traitor energy?
Get lucky and find one early? That’s what I did.
It is so much more obvious when you’re watching because people pick up on micro expressions. I’m not staring all the time at breakfast—I’m looking at my plate. I’m focusing on myself. I’m trying not to make anyone feel awkward. So I’m not picking up all those subtle cues in everyone else’s game. It’s very hard when you’re there.
Now that you’ve played, what would you look for if you went back to The Traitors? What would be an immediate red flag?
Big bags under your eyes because they have longer hours than us Faithfuls! We’re only getting five hours of sleep max a night. The Traitors are probably getting three hours of sleep. So I bet if you look for the most tired people, that’s a pretty good giveaway.
When I was there, I was looking for acting. As a Faithful, I didn’t need to act. If someone accused me of being a Traitor, I’m genuine in saying that I’m not. So I was looking for anyone that was putting on an act. But look, I was playing side-by-side with Danielle [Reyes], who was putting on an act the whole time, so I can’t say the strategy works.
What were your relationships like away from the round table?
Oh, I loved talking to everybody. Early on, I’d say Robyn [Dixon] was the only one I hadn’t connected to. I wanted to connect with her, but for some reason, we were in the other rooms at all times, but I felt like I had a good relationship with almost everyone off the bat. And that was super fun to me. All the off-camera talking, all of the story swapping. These 23 people have crazy lives, so we have so much to talk about and learn from. It’s really cool. It’s like a giant sleepover with really strange, cool people.
Was there anyone you formed a relationship with that you’ve carried over into your real life?
I’ve kept in touch with so many of the cast. I have no ill will with any of them. But in the castle, I was really close to Dolores [Catania]. She was just so comforting to me.
We just connected. I knew I could trust her with everything. So any thought I had, any strategy, any suspicion, I would immediately go to Dolores and be like, “What do you think?” And she would always listen even if she didn’t agree, which is amazing. That’s what you want in a game where you don’t trust anyone and you feel so insecure about who to trust. Finding someone like Dolores was massive for me.
And then you saw me on day one align with Danielle. And then, of course, Boston Rob came in and had my back.
Your relationship with Boston Rob has been a huge topic of debate in the fandom. Why do you seem to trust him so much?
It’s controversial. If you’ve watched him [on Survivor], he is cutthroat and will stab you in the back. But on the flip side, I knew he was really good at games. I’m a rookie, so I thought he’d take me to the end. He even said he would take me to the end in his confessional—he’s like, “I’m going to take him to the end and murder him.” That’s a great spot to be in! So the fact that he’s trusting me and I trust him fully…there’s a lot of game left and I needed people like that.
Did you watch Survivor?
Yeah, yeah.
Were you a little starstruck when he came out?
I don’t get starstruck often, but I do look up to him. I’ve watched him since I was a kid, so he’s definitely an idol. It’s funny, again, I’m a rookie—I’d never done a confessional before. I remember going up to Boston Rob and being like, “What did you do in confessionals? [The producers] just want me to talk about you the whole time.” In hindsight, it was so obvious.
When Boston Rob finally got voted out, you voted for Gabby Windey instead—for the second time. Why vote for Gabby at all?
At first, I truly thought she may be a Traitor. It stemmed from her close relationship with Bob the Drag Queen and a few conversations I had with her where she quickly dismissed the idea of Bob being a Traitor. I assumed wrongly, which happens in this game a lot, and Gabby wasn’t a Traitor, she was just blindsided by Bob the Drag Queen and didn’t suspect him.
The second time I voted for Gabby, it was with less conviction. I had a strong feeling Britney [Haynes] was a Faithful, and I wanted to keep Boston Rob in the game because I felt like it was in my best interest. The writing was on the wall, I knew my vote wouldn’t matter, so rather than vote for Brit and potentially ruin our relationship, I voted the same direction I had before, while staying loyal to Rob.
You mention being close with Dolores and Danielle—two relationships we haven’t seen much onscreen. But the season feels very bro-y. Was that something you felt when you were playing the game?
No! To me, that wasn’t the vibe at all. The biggest time it came up was that very first mission. And look, we were all very apologetic. We put the mission first, we put the money first, our shields first, and we didn’t think about the people that sacrificed themselves. So that was a huge wake-up call to us. We felt awful when we were still on that boat. Wells and I were going to get off at the next station. But at the same time, it was a physical mission and we can’t underplay that. I was exhausted and I row—I know what I’m doing—so we didn’t know what would happen if we all got off. It was the biggest wake-up call for me, but…
Look, I watch shows like this. I want to compete. I’m an athlete. If the mission is to go run up a hill carrying statues, I’m going to go up and do it. They didn’t show this, but Danielle put my head on the statue. I didn’t even do that, I was just running up, running down, running up, running down. It just felt good. I wanted to compete. So [the bro-y aspect] was never on the forefront of my mind. When I watched the show, it was more apparent.
You say the first challenge was a wake-up call for you. Did it change how you played the game going forward?
No, because at the end of the day, it’s a self-interested game. Those physical missions were my chance to get a shield. There’s zero chance I’m going to know a riddle. But if it’s running up a hill, I might be able to get a shield. I’m going to do what’s best for my gameplay to make it to the end.
Fair enough! Is there anyone you judged in the castle but are surprised by now watching the show?
It’s funny seeing everybody’s online personas now.
You hadn’t seen them before?
No. Now, I’m following all of them and I see what they do in day-to-day life. Chrishell [Stause] is such a busy person. I don’t know how she does it. I’m following her and I’m like, Wait, you’re in Australia? I thought you were in England. I’m like, How does she keep up?
And she finds time to comment on all of your posts!
Totally. It’s honestly incredible how she can do it all. So that surprised me. It’s cool seeing all of the people I only got to know through the castle. My version of Tom Sandoval is just how we met in the castle. I think my first words to him were, “You look really familiar.” I had no idea who he was. And he’s like, “Yeah, you probably know me from…”
From Scandoval?
Yeah. And he’s the first one to say it. I was like, “Oh, I think I listened to a Nick Viall podcast with you.” I told my girlfriend I said that and she was like, “That wasn’t the podcast you should have said. It wasn’t his best moment.”
Oh, no! I’m sure he’s heard it all before.
Yeah. My experience with Tom, we butted heads in the castle, but we always made up. Watching now, he’s one of my favorite characters on the show. So unabashedly himself, and it’s so funny.
He’s such a unique person. Very, very low self-awareness, very high confidence. But I love that he’s authentically himself. In a world where everyone’s afraid to be themselves, he is Tom Sandoval.
Fans loved seeing you team up with Sandoval in the marriage challenge. What was going through your mind when you were holding hands with him as bugs rained down on you?
It was honestly so funny. I wasn’t expecting Tom to have that reaction against the bugs, but I also had faith he was going to push himself to get through this with me. That’s all you ever want in a teammate—knowing that he would try his best out there—so seeing him push through his fear made me want to support him as well and get through it together. He was gripping my hand so tight.
So you’re watching it back as it airs? Are you texting other players as you watch?
Yeah, we hop on calls immediately after. It’s fun. We’re all super close. Whenever I have some free time, I’ll just call one of them and then that call turns into an hour long call.
I don’t know if you’ve also been paying attention to the fan reaction, but I think it’s fair to say you’re the heartthrob of season 3. Fans were so grateful for that footage of you working out.
Did you see Sam in the shower? I don’t know if I’m the heartthrob.
Trust me, it’s you.
No, it’s really nice. I’m really thankful. I played this game as myself, and I try to be authentic and take it seriously. And the fact that people are embracing it is so nice.
The people want to know, what’s next for you? More reality TV? I think you’d be great at Survivor.
Yeah, I could definitely see myself doing more reality TV. If the right show calls, I’ll definitely do it again. I could see myself going into acting, too.
I have so much respect for what my brother does, and I’m not going to play Ted Bundy*, but I think if there are roles that are similar to who I am, I could do a movie. I’ve always kept that option open.
*Zac Efron played Ted Bundy in the 2019 Netflix movie ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.’
Oh, that reminds me. You posted an Instagram video where you told Bob the Drag Queen that he inspired you to be more confident. What did you mean by that?
When I showed up, I didn’t want to talk at the round table, but I ended up going toe to toe with literally the most well-spoken person in the castle. And as soon as it was over, he’s got my back and he’s like, “Hey, that was good.” There was never animosity afterward. If he would’ve come over to me and been like, “Bitch, get out of here,” and just dismissed me, it probably would have killed my confidence. But Bob’s not like that. He’s very aware that this is drama. This is a show. It’s all fun and games to him. Just seeing that and being able to be a part of it was huge for me.
I loved how everyone gave his final words a standing ovation. It felt like everyone knew they were witnessing a moment.
That’s what makes him so frickin’ incredible. I would have been pissed if I was in his position, with Boston Rob outing me. The fact that he didn’t just say, “Well, I’m a Traitor and so is Boston Rob.” He could have done that. But instead, he just doubled down, knowing that none of us knew that he’s actually a Traitor. He held it till the very last second. And that’s for us, that’s for America. He’s a performer. And he did that for us. It’s so special.
And so are you—you are doing it for America!
Yeah, my workout scene…
Yes, Dylan...and America thanks you for all that and more.
Stylist: Danielle Flum.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
