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‘The Lorax’: Taylor Swift finally taught Zac Efron to play guitar

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Taylor Swift fans of the world, let it be known that you guys just might have a chance with the pop-country star, even post-Joe Jonas and post-Taylor Lautner. In “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” Zac Efron’s character goes on an adventure to impress Swift’s character, but she has yet to be so wildly wooed in real life outside of ‘the fan/YouTube section of my life,’ she said.

“Guys in my life — I don’t think I have a memory of [being impressed like] that. But that’s good! The bar’s really low,” Swift said Sunday at the world premiere of “The Lorax,” her first voice-acting gig.

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The film, based on the 1971 children’s book by Dr. Seuss, also sparked a friendship between its lead vocal stars that led to Swift teaching “High School Musical” star Efron to play guitar.

PHOTOS: ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ premiere arrivals

“She’s a great teacher,” Efron said at the Universal CityWalk premiere. “In the past, everyone who’s tried to teach me guitar starts with music theory and stuff like that. I tend to just doze off after a little while. She went straight into songs. She taught me, like, four chords, and I’m already playing all the good campfire songs.”

Co-writer Ken Daurio was just “happier and happier” upon learning of each actor who had signed onto the film, especially Danny DeVito, who voices the title character, a small but formidable mystical creature who speaks for the trees.

The script even went through some changes once DeVito was aboard.

“Once you find out Danny DeVito was going to be the Lorax, it so informs everything you do,” co-writer Cinco Paul said on the premiere’s orange carpet, which was lined with replicas of the book’s Truffula Trees.

Daurio added, “Once we heard Danny and knew it was going to be him, a lot of the dialogue did change. It just helps you think of what his attitude was going to be — he’s going to have that bite.”

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The Lorax’s lexicon of insulting nicknames like ‘beanpole’ was written in after DeVito took the part. The actor himself said he embodies ‘the spirited tenacity of the Lorax. I don’t really like to take no for an answer.’

‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ also features the voices of Ed Helms, Betty White and Rob Riggle. The film opens March 2.

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— Emily Rome

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