Zac Efron says it would be “a huge honor” to portray the late Matthew Perry.
Athenna Crosby, a close friend of the late “Friends” star, previously told “Entertainment Tonight” that Perry had wanted to make a movie about his life and hoped Efron would play him in a biopic.
Efron was asked about the comment while at “The Iron Claw” premiere on Nov. 8, and said he would be up for the role.
“I heard that and it’s a huge honor,” Efron told “ET.” “Matthew is, you know, the best guy in the world. I had the best time of my life working with him.”
“To think that he was thinking of me for that role,” he continued. “I would be honored to do it, to be honest.”
Efron played a younger version of Perry’s character in the 2009 comedy “17 Again.”
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The story followed Mike O’Donnell, a former high school basketball star that left his dreams of playing ball after his girlfriend got pregnant. One day, he wakes up as his younger self and gets to relive his dreams and correct the mistakes he made in the past.
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Perry died on Oct. 28 at the age of 54, a representative for the actor and law enforcement confirmed to NBC News the day of. The beloved actor was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home after an apparent drowning. Perry's official cause of death is pending the coroner’s investigation.
Crosby, who told “ET” that he had dined with the actor a day before his death, told the outlet that Perry had wanted to reach out to Efron.
“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) and that he was gonna ask him soon to do that,” Crosby said. “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.”
While two law enforcement sources told NBC News there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play in regards to Perry's death, the actor had been vocal about his past struggles with drugs and addiction.
Perry had said that he didn’t like to watch episodes of “Friends” because he could tell when he was struggling with drugs and alcohol.
Almost a week after his sudden death, Perry's funeral was held Nov. 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, according to People.
His “Friends” co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, were in attendance, the magazine reported.
The cast had previously released a joint statement following his death, saying they were “utterly devastated.”
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” the statement read. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able,” the statement continued. “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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