Zac Efron feels “honoured” Matthew Perry wanted him to play him in a biopic
Zac Efron has revealed he feels “honoured” the late Matthew Perry, who he starred alongside in 17 Again, wanted Efron to play him in a biopic.
Earlier this week, Perry’s friend Athenna Crosby, who had lunch with him the day before his death on October 28th, made the revelation during an interview. “He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life. And he had worked with Zac Efron in the past on a movie,” she said.
“He said that he wanted Zac Efron to play him as a younger version and that he was gonna ask him soon to do that,” Crosby added.
Now, speaking with People, Efron has reflected on his relationship with Perry, who he greatly admired. “I was honoured to hear he was thinking of me to play him,” the actor said on the red carpet. Efron also said he was “devastated” by the death of the actor, adding: “He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together. I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy.”
Efron continued: “I mean, when we were filming 17 Again, it was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there, because I’ve learned so much from him, from his whole life.”
An initial post-mortem exploring the cause of Perry’s death was deemed inconclusive, leading to the request for a full toxicology report, which will take several weeks to complete. His passing isn’t being treated as suspicious.
In a joint statement, his Friends co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, wrote of Perry’s passing: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
They added: “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
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