Zac Efron has remembered his 17 Again late co-star Matthew Perry while receiving a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
The two actors worked on the 2009 comedy directed by Burr Steers, with Efron playing a younger version of Perry's former basketball champion character Mike O'Donnell.
The High School Musical star, next to be seen in A24's wrestling biopic The Iron Claw, gave a shoutout to Perry in his Walk of Fame speech on Monday (December 11).
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Efron praised the Friends star for being "so kind and generous with me" on set, while also saying that working on 17 Again "was so much fun and really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways" (via Entertainment Weekly).
"It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career," Efron added.
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"And for that, thank you so much, Matthew," he continued.
"Thinking about you a lot today."
Related: Jennifer Aniston asks fans to make charity donation in Friends star Matthew Perry's honour
Perry died from apparent drowning in his Los Angeles home on October 28.
Several stars, including Friends actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, shared tributes, reminiscing on their best memories from the show.
After the star's passing, a friend of Perry revealed the actor had considered making a movie about his life with Efron in the lead role. Efron said he would be "honoured" to portray Perry in a biopic, explaining he was "a mentor" to him.
"I looked up to him. I learned comedic timing from that guy," Efron told People.
"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."
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
