Before his shock death last month, Matthew Perry mentioned he would love Zac Efron to play him should they ever make a biopic of his life.
The beloved star was buried last week at an intimate ceremony attended by his Friends family after seemingly drowning in his hot tub aged 54.
Perry, whose cause of death is still undetermined, had worked with the High School Musical icon in the 2009 comedy film 17 Again.
In the film, Efron plays the younger version of Perry’s character Mike O’Donnell who is transformed into his 17-year-old self, again.
While at the premiere of The Iron Claw, following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, the 36-year-old actor gave a touching tribute to his ‘mentor’.
‘I’m honoured to hear he was thinking of me to play him,’ Efron told People magazine, adding he would be ‘honoured to do it’.
The Hairspray actor continued: ‘He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together. 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.’
A reporter who spent time with Perry shortly before his death revealed that he planned to put his journey on the big screen in the near future.
Athenna Crosby, an entertainment reporter who was photographed dining with Perry shortly before his death, gave details of what the future plans were.
After his death, she told People they had discussed the possibility of a biopic recently and shared: ‘[He] wanted Zac Efron, who’s played him already to play him again because he said he did such a good job.’
It’s unknown what Perry wanted the biopic to focus on specifically but he had been candid about his struggles with addiction since his meteoric rise to fame as Chandler Bing.
Reportedly he spent $9million (£7.4million) on his efforts to get sober, poignantly sharing that after his death he wanted to be remembered not for his acting, but for helping people with their own addictions.
Those closest to the late actor have set up a charity foundation in his name in order to help other people battling addiction issues.
His lasting legacy will be The Matthew Perry Foundation, with a statement posted on the new charity’s website reading: ‘The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realisation of [his] enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.
‘It will honour his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.’
Reflecting on his time on Friends in 2017, Perry revealed the one storyline he refused to film on the hit US sitcom, resulting in it being pulled entirely.
Tributes from across the TV industry have poured in since the news broke, with the other five main Friends cast members sharing a joint statement about the death of their longtime friend and co-star.
‘We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates – we are a family,’ the statement, published on Monday, 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. 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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