Brothers Zac (left) and Dylan Efron. Photo:

Zac Efron/Instagram

• The Traitors season 3 star Dylan Efron is the younger brother of actor Zac Efron
• The reality star tells PEOPLE that his older brother didn’t give him any advice before he filmed the Peacock competition show because “is a different realm” than acting
• Dylan says “it was heartbreaking” to decide between voting to banish Danielle Reyes and Carolyn Wiger in the latest episode of The Traitors

He might be an outspoken Faithful on The Traitors, but Dylan Efron says he used to be introverted growing up as the younger brother of actor Zac Efron.

“I was really shy as a kid,” Dylan, 33, tells PEOPLE. “I didn’t have social media until I was probably 25, 26. I was very private. And then every year, growing more and more confident, posting more on social and realizing that my life being posted on social media has led to reality [shows] being an option because I’m playing myself online.”

A fan of Survivor as a child, Dylan says “it was always a dream” to be on a competition show like The Traitors. “I was super competitive growing up,” he says. “So when Traitors asked, it was a no-brainer. I don’t think I would’ve been ready for this a couple years ago, but it was the perfect timing for me. I watched, I loved it and I thought I’d do pretty well.”

Dylan has done quite well so far, being the first person to come after Traitor Bob the Drag Queen and casting the deciding vote for another Traitor, Carolyn Wiger over Danielle Reyes, both of whom he’d considered allies

“I felt such a connection with both of them,” Dylan says. “I had both of their backs. If I heard their names being tossed around, I was quick to dismiss it. So it was a tough decision, and I made my decision purely based off what would be best for me going forward. It was heartbreaking because I loved them both.”

Dylan Efron on ‘The Traitors’ season 3. Euan Cherry/Peacock

The reality star says he “laid a little bit more groundwork” with Reyes, 53, hence why he voted for Wiger, 38. “And I had a good suspicion that she would recruit either me or Brittany,” he continues of becoming a Traitor. “That was a really good spot for me to be in because I thought either was a win-win. I either know who a potential Traitor will be or I’ll be a Traitor.”

In the Feb. 27 episode, Reyes will decide who she wants to welcome into the turret, and that person can either accept the offer to become a Traitor or exit the game.

When it comes to potentially finishing out the game as a Traitor, “I didn’t want to, to be honest,” Dylan says. “I knew it was a good gameplay move and I could potentially win this whole thing, but I had played so long as a Faithful with these people. My background’s in sports. I wanted to win this as a team, and that was my hope was to be a Faithful.”

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Still, Dylan recognizes “it’s just a game,” and he didn’t want to “hold anyone accountable for anything that happens” on the show out in the real world.

“If someone swears on their kid, it’s a game. If someone makes fun of my brother, it’s the game,” the reality star says. “You can do whatever you think is moral to win, you just have to deal with those consequences. My whole thing is let’s keep it in the game and let’s be friends outside. And I’m very fortunate that I feel that way with I think the entire cast.”

Brothers Dylan (left) and Zac Efron. Zac Efron/Instagram

People have come for Zac, 37, since Dylan joined the show, with Bob the Drag Queen, 38, most notably calling the High School Musical star “not a good actor” at the roundtable in which he got banished. But according to his younger brother, Zac didn’t mind the insult.

“He was laughing about it,” Dylan says. “This is all just fun to him. He’s been in the public eye for a lot. He doesn’t take anything too serious. He’s been super supportive of it all.”

Zac also didn’t give Dylan any advice before he stepped more into the spotlight on The Traitors.

“Zac’s an actor. If I was going into act for something, he would be the first one to give me some tips, but this is a different realm,” Dylan explains. “This is more towards social media, which I do. So Zac showing his support was all I needed, but he’s not going to give me tips because he has no idea how these shows work.”

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New episodes of The Traitors stream Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.