Matthew Perry hoped to meet again with his 17 Again Costar Zac Efron for a very special project.
Entertainment reporter Athena Crosby, who was photographed dining with Perry at the Bel-Air Hotel the day before his death, tells PEOPLE Friends the star “wanted to make a film about his life and give a biopic.”
The model and actress adds that Perry “wanted Zac Efron, who played him before, to do it again because he said he did such a good job.”
Matthew Perry was in ‘extremely good spirits’ the day before his death, says ‘one of the last people to speak to him’
Matthew Perry and Zac Efron in ’17 Again’.
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Perry and Efron starred together in the 2009 comedy 17 Again. In the film, Perry plays Mike O’Donnell, a hapless middle-aged father with a dead-end job, two kids who hate him, and a wife who just filed for divorce. But magic strikes O’Donnell in a moment of desperation, transforming him back into his 17-year-old self (played by Efron). He’s been given the chance to redo his entire life, but it turns out that maybe he just needs to appreciate what he has.
Matthew Perry enjoyed the ‘challenge’ of dramatic roles — and even hoped to play a villain (Exclusive)
Perry, 54, was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday after apparently drowning. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that no drugs were found at the scene, nor were there any signs of foul play.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman later told PEOPLE on Saturday that officers responded to a call at Matthew’s address regarding the death of a man in his 50s, though authorities would not confirm the identity of the deceased.
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Matthew Perry poses at the Broadway premiere of “Six Degrees of Separation” at The Barrymore Theater on April 25, 2017.
Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Matthew Perry Friends Costars Speak Out After His Death: ‘We Are All So Completely Devastated’ (Exclusive)
The actor’s family released a statement to PEOPLE on Sunday, saying, “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 as a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring love.”
Two days after Perry’s death, his Friends actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer released a joint statement exclusively to PEOPLE.
“We are all so completely devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than co-stars. We are family,” the statement read. “There is so much to say, but right now we will take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
It continued: “We will say more in time, as and when we can. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.”
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Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in ‘Friends’,.
Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
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Perry and Efron 17 Again costar Thomas Lennon also paid tribute in a lengthy statement Diversity, remembering him as “an angst cartoon mascot wrapped in matinee idol packaging. Canadian tennis professional. A heartthrob with a racing heart. Dramatist. An accidental superstar.”
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