Zac Efron has shared his heartfelt reaction to the news that the late Matthew Perry had contemplated him for the lead role in a biopic capturing the essence of the Friends actor’s life. The revelation came to light during the red carpet premiere of Efron’s latest film, “The Iron Claw,” where the 36-year-old actor expressed being “devastated” by Perry’s recent passing at the age of 54.
Entertainment reporter Athenna Crosby, who had been photographed dining with Perry just one day before his untimely death, disclosed to People Magazine that Perry had been in the early stages of planning a film about his life. What struck a chord was Perry’s specific choice of Efron for the role, citing the High School Musical alum’s previous portrayal as a key factor. Crosby shared Perry’s sentiments, noting that the late actor believed Efron had done an exceptional job in capturing his essence on screen.
In response to this revelation, Efron conveyed his deep appreciation, stating, “I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him. We’ll see. I’d be honored to do it,” hinting at the possibility of taking on the role in the future.
This isn’t the first time Efron and Perry have shared the screen. In 2009, Efron played the younger version of Perry’s character, Mike O’Donnell, in the film “17 Again.” Reflecting on their collaboration, Efron shared fond memories of Perry, describing him as a mentor and highlighting the valuable lessons in comedic timing that he learned from the seasoned actor.
“He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together,” Efron reminisced. “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.”
As the possibility of portraying Perry in a biopic looms, fans and industry insiders alike eagerly await to see if Efron will step into the role and pay homage to the late actor’s legacy on the silver screen.
