Zac Efron, the renowned actor known for his roles in various movies, recently shared his thoughts and sentiments about his late co-star, Matthew Perry, from their film “17 Again.” Efron’s comments came during the world premiere of his new movie, “The Iron Claw,” in Dallas, Texas, on November 8.
Efron revealed that he would be open to playing the role of Matthew Perry in a biopic, a desire that Perry himself had previously expressed. Perry, best known for his iconic character Chandler Bing on the TV show “Friends,” tragically passed away suddenly.
“I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him,” Efron told People. He expressed deep sorrow over Perry’s untimely death, stating that he is “devastated” by the loss.
Efron spoke fondly about Perry’s impact on his life, saying, “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. 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.”
Matthew Perry had expressed a desire to create a movie about his life, as confirmed by his friend Athenna Crosby in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada. According to Athenna, Perry had a specific actor in mind to portray his younger self—Zac Efron.
“He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life,” Athenna shared. “And he had worked with Zac Efron in the past on a movie. 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.”
Perry’s vision for the movie went beyond personal storytelling. He was enthusiastic about sharing his journey of recovery from addiction and championing the cause to help others struggling with similar challenges.
Tragically, on October 28, Matthew Perry was found dead by apparent drowning in the hot tub of his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, just after 4 pm. His unexpected passing left a void in the hearts of his fans, colleagues, and friends, and his aspirations for a movie about his life now serve as a poignant reminder of the talent and inspiration he shared with the world.
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