Zac Efron has been ‘affected a lot’ by Matthew Perry’s death

Efron played the younger version of Perry’s character in 2009 comedy ‘17 Again’

Zac Efron has said that he’s thought a lot about Matthew Perry every day since his untimely death in October at age 54.

The two starred together in the 2009 comedy 17 Again about a failing father, Mike O’Donnell (Perry), who miraculously transforms into his teenage self (portrayed by Efron).

In a new interview with Variety for his December cover story, the High School Musical actor, 36, reflected on his cherished time spent with Perry years ago.

“I hold the time we shared together really dear. I’ve been thinking about him a lot, every day,” Efron said. “He was in a unique position for me in my career, and in my life. His passing is affecting me a lot.

“It definitely can be isolating,” he said, lamenting about the loneliness of “being an actor and being in the spotlight”.

“It’s very important to reach out to friends and foster relationships where you can talk and share stories,” Efron added. “I wish in the past couple of years that I had an opportunity to do that with Matthew.”

Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on 28 October. His cause of death has been “deferred” after an initial postmortem showed no signs of meth or fentanyl in his system.

Zac Efron and Matthew Perry (Getty Images)

A month after his passing, it was reported that a conclusive update would not be expected for “for to six months”, with further tests currently underway.

The Friends star had been vocal about his battle with addiction, writing candidly about his journey towards sobriety in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

Perry’s shocking death has been mourned by fans, co-stars and other high-profile celebrities, with the leading cast of Friends paying tribute to him in separate social media posts.

Earlier this week, at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Efron honoured Perry during his speech, saying: “I really also want to mention someone that is not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me when we worked on 17 Again.”

“Collaborating with him...it was so much fun and it really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways. It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career, for that, thank you so much Matthew,” he said. “Thinking about you a lot today.”

Efron can next be seen in The Iron Claw, a sports biopic about the pro wrestling family, The Von Erichs, which will be released in US cinemas on 22 December. It will later hit UK cinemas on 9 February 2024.