Zac Efron is drinking soup through a straw after breaking his jaw.

The 26-year-old actor recently suffered a nasty fall outside his Los Angeles home which left him needing his mouth wired shut, and his former 'Hairspray' director has been taking care of him while he recovers.

Adam Shankman told UsMagazine.com: ''I have been at his house every day and I have been making him soup.

''He has been drinking it through his straw ... He has to eat through a straw on a syringe. It's horrible.''

The pair have been as close as brothers since working on the 2007 musical, and Adam admitted he's been teasing the '17 Again' star since his accident.

He said: ''He's like my little brother, has been since 'Hairspray'. So I talk to him like a little brother, which means I give him a lot of s**t ... He has always been a klutz ... This is like a perfect Zac move.''

Although Zac isn't able to talk at the moment, he is still remaining upbeat, according to the filmmaker.

Adam added: ''He's in great spirits. He's just like, 'Oww. It hurts.' ''