Dylan Efron, who was a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34, is calling the finale of the hit competition show the proudest moment of his career.
The content creator rose to prominence after he came out on top as one of the winners on “The Traitors” Season 3. Following this, he went on to compete in “DWTS.” Efron explains how being on both of these reality television shows helped him find confidence and learn to be more “authentic” to himself.
Efron Explains How ‘DWTS’ Changed Him for the Better
Disney“Every year in my life, I got more confident through small things like posting on social. And I was really private and introverted and shy. And then posting on social, I was able to like show more of who I am and my passions and just be myself,” Efron said in an exclusive interview with Parade from March 17, 2026. “And I think the more I was authentic to myself and stopped trying to put myself in a box, that’s been the biggest thing I learned [on ‘DWTS’ and ‘The Traitors’]. So like, I just keep proving to myself, I can do things I never said I would. Like, I never, even a couple of years ago, would have ever done ‘Dancing with the Stars.'”
Efron also shared with the outlet that the proudest moment of his career was during the “DWTS” Season 34 finale. He explained that he felt more at ease during the performance with his partner, professional dancer Daniella Karagach, since he was no longer “trying to get votes.”
He explained, “I think it was just the whole season battling nerves and battling the uncomfortability of performance and all that stuff. And I remember I was just always waiting for the week where it felt like, ‘Oh, I get this. It’s not hard anymore.’ And every week was freaking hard. And that last performance just felt like it was for me.”
“The last performance was for us. And it didn’t make me nervous. It was just so rewarding. And I’m so happy I made it to the finale for that moment,” Efron said.
Efron Reflects on the Last Year
Over the last year, Efron’s life has significantly changed after appearing on some of television’s most popular shows.
“Thinking about how much my life has changed is bizarre because I still like to say that even though my life has changed so much, I don’t feel any different. I feel exactly the same as I was rolling into 2025. It is cool to look back on how much growth and how cool this last year was, but I still feel the exact same way and I am very happy,” Efron said in an exclusive cover story with EUPHORIA. Magazine from March 4, 2026.
He continued, “I still have my routines. I’m still walking my dog every morning. I’m still saying hi to my neighbors.” Efron noticed the biggest difference when being out in public. “When I’m grocery shopping, I might get stopped once or twice, but in the best way possible,” he said, explaining that “it’s never a negative thing” to him.
Efron also spoke about how “DWTS” was the “polar opposite” of anything he had “ever done.”
“When I would go to a dance, like a music festival or something, I would be so nervous. It’s hard for me to let go. I’ve never been that person that danced or liked having that attention,” Efron said. “I’m looking at myself in the mirror saying, ‘I would never do ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ it’s not who I am,’ so then I finally just said, ‘Alright let’s do this. I think it could be fun.'”
Efron explained that, although he’s “pretty athletic,” he had “no idea how to dance” but he thought that he could “have a growing experience” while on the show where he “can learn a new skill, which is really one of my favorite things in the world, to focus on something and give it my all.”
“I had such a transformative experience and loved every second,” he concluded.
