Here's How Zac Efron Feels About Matthew Perry Wanting Him to Star in His Biopic

Zac Efron is still mourning the sudden demise of his 17 Again co-star, Matthew Perry. Efron broke his silence on the irrevocable loss of the Friends alum on Iron Claw's premiere on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. He spoke to Extra's journalist, Megan Ryte, discussing his own professional highs but also about Perry's loss. "I'm still devastated by the fact that he is gone," said Efron. 

Apart from acting together in the 2009 film, Perry had a special place for the 36-year-old actor. After he passed away, his friend Athenna Crosby revealed his wish for a biopic. She shared, "He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life," reported Entertainment Tonight.

Apparently, Crosby is the woman who was last photographed with Perry a day before his untimely demise. She continued, "And he had worked with Zac Efron in the past on a movie, and he said that he wanted Zac Efron to play him as a younger version [of himself]." After learning about Perry's wish, Efron couldn't be more elated. 

The High School Musical star said, "I was hugely honored. It would be extraordinary to do." Efron added, "We'll see what happens." Crosby also revealed Perry was planning to ask Efron to play his younger self. "He [Perry] was gonna ask him soon to do that. He was just looking forward to sharing more about his story and his recovery from addiction and really championing that cause to help more people, so he was so optimistic and happy about everything that he wanted to do." 

In another interview with ET, Efron detailed his feelings about the late actor's wish. "Matthew is, you know, the best guy in the world," The Iron Claw actor said. "I had the best time of my life working with him." In their 2009 comedy film 17 Again, Efron also plays the teenage version of Perry's character. "To think he was thinking of me for that role, I mean, I would be honored to do it, to be honest," he said.

The Friends star was found unresponsive in his hot tub by his assistant, who was out running some errands before that. The Los Angeles Department released a statement, "A bystander had brought the man's head above the water and gotten him to the edge, then Firefighters removed him from the water upon their arrival. A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival," per US Weekly.

The investigation department is awaiting a toxicology report to determine an official cause of death. However, so far, it is considered to be a case of apparent drowning. According to Crosby (the last friend he spoke to), Perry was in good spirits. She revealed, "He was talking about how excited he was to have a second act and had struggles that inhibited his acting aspirations but had turned it all around and was looking forward to getting back into it full swing."