Zac Efron recently paid tribute to his late co-star Matthew Perry, stating that he would be open to playing him in a future biopic. Efron, who was attending the world premiere of his new film The Iron Claw in Dallas, Texas, expressed his honor at Perry's previous mention of wanting Efron for the role. Although devastated by Perry's recent passing at the age of 54, Efron reflected on their time filming the 2009 comedy 17 Again, where Perry served as a mentor and taught him valuable comedic timing skills.
17 Again featured Efron as a younger version of Perry's character, Mike O'Donnell, who gets a second chance at life by falling into a time vortex and becoming a teenager again. Perry, who had expressed his desire for a biopic about his life and wanted Efron to portray him again, had made quite an impact on the cast of 17 Again, which also included Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jim Gaffigan, and Thomas Lennon.
Lennon, who worked with Perry on The Odd Couple television series, wrote a heartfelt tribute to the actor, describing him as someone who always strived for improvement and made others laugh even when it hurt. Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, also had a successful film career with movies like The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In, and Three to Tango.
In The Iron Claw, Efron stars alongside Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons as the real-life sibling professional wrestlers of the Von Erich family. While discussing the film, Efron opened up about fame and its challenges in the age of smartphones.
He expressed his respect for those who can overcome the hardships of fame and persevere. Efron believes that everyone can relate to the film on some level. The Iron Claw will be released in theaters on December 22.
