Zac Efron took some time to honor the late Matthew Perry in a poignant speech after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fans and Hollywood colleagues continue to mourn the loss of Perry after the memorable Friends actor tragically died in October at the age of 54.
During the Walk of Fame ceremony awarding Efron for his career accomplishments, Efron mentioned how Perry was "so kind and generous with me" during filming on the 2009 teen comedy film, 17 Again.
In 17 Again, Perry played a 37-year-old man named Mike who magically becomes his 17-year-old self, portrayed by Efron.
Efron started his speech by saying:
"I really also want to mention someone that's not here today, and that's Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me while we worked on '17 Again.'"
The 36-year-old recalled his time working on the film and said of Perry:
"Collaborating with him and [director] Burr Steers—it was so much fun and really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways,"
He continued:
"It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career, and for that, thank you so much, Matthew."
"Thinking about you a lot today.”
You can watch his speech here.
Efron's friend Miles Teller also attended the ceremony, as well as Jeremy Allen White, Efron's The Iron Claw costar, and director Sean Durkin, all of whom gave speeches before Efron.
Teller, who starred with Efron in the 2012 rom-com That Awkward Moment, also mentioned Perry in his speech, saying the late actor was so impressed by Efron's comedic abilities that he wanted to have Efron portray him in a biopic.
Fans were moved by Efron's speech.
When Efron first heard that Perry had mentioned having him cast in a movie to play him, Efron said:
"I'm honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him."
"We'll see. I'd be honored to do it."
Perry is best remembered for playing Chandler Bing in the '90s sitcom Friends.
On October 28, 2023, he was found unresponsive in his hot tub and was pronounced dead on the same day.
In a statement following the tragic news, his family issued a statement that read:
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother."
"Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend."
"You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
Perry's November 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he opened up about his longtime struggle with addiction and substance abuse, returned to the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s Best Sellers list days after his death.
Efron started acting in the early 2000s and rose to prominence playing Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy.
He has since gone on to star in numerous films such as New Year's Eve, Neighbors, Baywatch, and The Greatest Showman.
Efron is also the recipient of a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the Netflix travel show Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020–2022).
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