MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Zac Efron says he idolized 'mentor' Matthew Perry, reveals he's devastated by '17 Again' co-star's death

Zac Efron said he would be honored to star in Matthew Perry's biopic

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Zac Efron is "devastated" by the sudden death of his mentor and co-star Matthew Perry.

At the premiere of his latest movie 'Iron Claw' in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday night, November 8, Efron talked about the late actor for the first time since his death on October 28 at the age of 54.

Zac Effron says Matthew Perry 'taught me so much'

The 'High School Musical' star who played a younger version of Perry's character, Mike O'Donnell in the 2009 film '17 Again' said, "Matthew’s been a mentor to me since we worked together on '17 Again' years ago."

"He taught me so much. I idolize that guy and the fact that he's gone now is devastating," he recalled the 'Friends' star's mentorship and unexpected death.

Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home and first responders confirmed him dead at the scene after his assistant found him in his backyard jacuzzi.

Will Zac Efron star in Matthew Perry's biopic?

As there is no official announcement about Perry's biopic, Efron "did hear that he was thinking about me playing him in the future," and shared, "That's the biggest honor one can have."

"We'll see. I'd be honored to do it," the 36-year-old actor confirmed and reiterated how "devastated" he is by the 'Fools Rush In' actor's death which shocked the world.

"He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together," Efron added, according to OK Magazine.

"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," 'The Hairspray' actor added.

Zac Effron relates to Matthew Perry on a personal level amid his battle with addiction

Efron relates to Perry on a more personal level through their battles with substance abuse.

'The Greatest Showman' actor went to rehab in 2013 and in the following year, he admitted in an interview saying, "I was drinking a lot, way too much."

"It’s a never-ending struggle," Efron admitted during his battle with addiction.

"I had done films back-to-back-to-back. I was burnt out. There was something lacking, some sort of hole that I couldn’t really fill up. I was just so deep into my work, it was really the only thing I had," the Disney Channel alum continued.