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Zac Efron pays tribute to a ‘generous’ Matthew Perry at Walk of Fame ceremony

Emotional Zac Efron paid tribute to Friends actor Matthew Perry while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Zac Efron has paid tribute to Friends actor Matthew Perry on Monday while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Zac Efron has paid tribute to Friends actor Matthew Perry on Monday while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Zac Efron sweetly remembered Matthew Perry on Monday while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Efron, 36, and Perry, who unexpectedly died in October, starred together in 2009’s “17 Again.” It was one of Efron’s first films outside of Disney’s “High School Musical.”

“I want to mention someone that’s not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me when we worked on ’17 Again,‘” Efron said during his star ceremony, the New York Post reported.

“Collaborating with him — it was so much fun and it 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. Thinking about you a lot today,” Efron said, looking up toward the sky.

Efron’s is the 2,767th star to be added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, per an official press release.

Zac Efron sweetly remembered Matthew Perry on Monday while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Zac Efron sweetly remembered Matthew Perry on Monday while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During his speech the actor also reflected on how long he has been in show business.

“I’ve been acting, singing and dancing for as long as I can remember,” Efron said, “but never in my wildest dreams that I’d imagine I would be standing here today.”

Efron previously said he was “devastated” by Perry’s passing and also reacted to the “Friends” star’s reported wish to have “The Greatest Showman” star play him in a biopic.

“I was hugely honoured,” Efron said of hearing Perry’s wish on the red carpet for his latest film, “The Iron Claw.”

“It would be extraordinary to do,” he said, adding that he was “still devastated by the fact that he is gone.”

Zac Efron pays tribute to Matthew Perry

“The Iron Claw” director Sean Durkin and Efron’s co-stars Miles Teller and Jeremy Allen White attended Monday’s ceremony and gave their own speeches at the event.

“For our generation, Zac was and is the first true superstar to come out of our class,” Teller, 36, said at the ceremony.

Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28. His official cause of death is still pending toxicology reports, but it is believed he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was 54.

Also on Monday, Jennifer Aniston revealed she texted with Perry on the day of his death.

A view of Zac Efron's star is seen during the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A view of Zac Efron's star is seen during the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28.
Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28.

“I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty,” she said, tearfully remembering her longtime co-star in an interview with Variety. “He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know.”

She added, “He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling.”

Aniston concluded, “I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/zac-efron-pays-tribute-to-a-generous-matthew-perry-at-walk-of-fame-ceremony/news-story/69adf915b1a8e73af384e33487dc3c52