Actor Zac Efron spoke about his grief following the death of his late co-star actor Matthew Perry.
During an interview with Variety, Efron, 36, opened up about the loss of Perry, who was his co-star in the 2009 movie “17 Again.”
“He was in a unique position for me in my career, and in my life. His passing is affecting me a lot,” he shared.
Additionally, Efron spoke about the loneliness of his career and revealed he regretted not maintaining his relationship with the “Friends” star.
He continued:
“It can be incredibly lonely, being an actor and being in the spotlight. It definitely can be isolating. It’s very important to reach out to friends and foster relationships where you can talk and share stories. I wish in the past couple of years that I had an opportunity to do that with Matthew. I hold the time we shared together really dear. I’ve been thinking about him a lot, every day.”
On Monday, Efron was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During his speech, “The Iron Claw” actor paid tribute to Perry who he said was “so kind and generous” with him during the filming of “17 Again.”
“Collaborating with him and [director Burr Steers] — it was so much fun and really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways. It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career, and for that, thank you so much, Matthew,” he shared.
Efron added, “Thinking about you a lot today.”
On Oct. 28, Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi following an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home, TMZ reported. He was 54 years old.
Following the news of his passing, Perry’s family issued a statement, via People.
“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,” they said.