Zac Efron would be the perfect actor to play Matthew Perry if there ever were a biopic about the late actor’s life, and he has the perfect comedy in his filmography to prove it. Efron rose to popularity thanks to his role as basketball star-turned-actor Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy and starred in a number of comedies, but he also proved his versatility with more serious roles in different drama and thriller films. On top of that, both his physical appearance and his comedic timing would make Efron the best option to cast in a biopic movie about the beloved Friends actor.
Matthew Perry passed away in late October at the age of 54. Matthew Perry shared how he wanted to be remembered for more than his famous sitcom Friends. Matthew Perry’s bestselling memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir details his struggles with addiction and the effort he makes to help other people with addictions, and he had expressed his desire to have a biopic based on that book. Although there are no plans to adapt his memoir, and there might never be a biopic about him, he expressed his desire for who he wanted to play him: Zac Efron. And he’s got the right idea.
Zac Efron Proved He’s the Best Matthew Perry In 2009’s 17 Again
Zac Efron and Matthew Perry starred together in the 2009 comedy
Matthew Perry was not mistaken when he shared his dream actor to play him, as Zac Efron proved he was the best person for the job when the two co-starred in the 2009 comedy 17 Again. In the movie, both actors played Mike O’Donnell, with Perry as the adult, and Efron as the teenager. The older Mike miraculously becomes young and has to go through the high school experience again. Efron did his due diligence to play the character the way Matthew Perry would, thanks to his Friends knowledge and advice from Perry himself.
It’s not just Matthew Perry who thought this was a good idea. Zac Efron himself reacted to Perry’s biopic suggestion and admitted it’s something he’d be interested in doing. During the red carpet premiere of his upcoming film The Iron Claw, Efron said (via People) that he’s open to playing Perry in a biopic if there was one. “I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him,” Efron said. “We’ll see. I’d be honored to do it. 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.“
Zac Efron Has Proven His Range Throughout His Filmography
Efron has starred in comedies, musicals, rom-coms, and more
Zac Efron became famous through the High School Musical trilogy, but he’s done other genres, too. He appeared in comedies like Dirty Grampa, Neighbors, and Baywatch, crime dramas like Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile, where he played Ted Bundy and received praise for his convincing performance, romantic comedies like The Lucky One, and critically acclaimed musicals like Hairspray and The Greatest Showman. Efron’s upcoming movie The Iron Claw is also a biography, based on the Von Erich brothers, and while it’s different from the one that’d be based on Matthew Perry, Zac Efron proved he has range, and would be the perfect actor to play the beloved sitcom star.
