Matthew Perry’s fans were devastated to learn of his passing. Millions of people adored the former cast member of Friends for his hilarious portrayal of Chandler Bing in that iconic series.
Apart from his millions of fans, Perry had a few people he was very close to. It not only includes his friends and co-stars but also some other people he has worked well with.
Among them was Zac Efron, who had previously collaborated with Perry on the 2009 comedy film 17 Again.
During a speech, Zac Efron honored the late Matthew Perry
Zac Efron has long been a mainstay in Hollywood. He has been rising through the ranks of the industry since his breakthrough performance in High School Musical, and on Monday he was officially bestowed with the coveted Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was added to the esteemed list as the 2,267th star after achieving this feat.
A star-studded event was held to honor the actor and his achievements. His ‘The Iron Claw’ co-star, Jeremy Allen White, and the film’s director, Sean Durkin, both gave speeches.
Zac, who plays Kevin Von Erich in the movie, was there with his wife, Lily James’s Pam Adkisson.
Anyone who is awarded such an award is bound to get emotional and reflect on their journeys to that point. Zac Efron followed suit; in his speech upon winning the prize, he thanked God and reflected on his career.
He expressed gratitude to a number of his former associates, including director Kenny Ortega from High School Musical and co-stars Sean Durkin and Jeremy Allen White from his most recent picture, The Iron Claw.
Actor Matthew Perry, with whom he had worked on his first major motion picture following his breakthrough performance in High School Musical, 17 Again, was one of the very special people he thanked in his speech.
Zac said, “I would like to mention Matthew Perry; he is not present here today but has always shown kindness and generosity towards me.”
“Working with him was a lot of fun, and he inspired me in numerous ways. Thank you so much, Matthew, for pushing me into the next phase of my career.”
What happened to Matthew Perry?
Zac Efron and Matthew Perry were quite close, having worked together on a film. The erstwhile child star honored Perry at his Walk of Fame induction.
Matthew Perry was unexpectedly found dead at his house in Los Angeles in October of this year. This death shocked many of his close friends and family, as well as his hordes of fans around the world.
Following Perry’s passing, a few details surfaced, including the fact that the Friends star had hoped Zac Efron would play him in a future biopic. This fact was revealed to the media by one of the late actor’s friends and was even put before Zac Efron in a press conference.
I am grateful that he considered having me in his biopic. “It would be an accomplishment to do it,” the Baywatch star remarked. “We made a cool movie together, and he was a mentor to me.”
It was evident from their comments that Matthew Perry and Zac Efron respected and liked one another.
After learning that a late actor wanted to cast him in a biopic, Zac Efron said he would be “proud” to play Matthew Perry.
Efron remarked, “I am delighted to hear he was thinking of me to play him. “I would be honored to do it.”
He continued, “I looked up to him and learned comedic timing from that guy.” I had learned a lot from him, so it was weird for me to see him when we were filming “17 Again.”
