Matthew Perry wanted to reunite with his former 17 Again co-star Zac Efron in a biopic of his life, a new report has claimed.
The former Friends actor played Mike O'Donnell, a man on the verge of divorce who regrets throwing away his opportunity to become a basketball star to marry his pregnant girlfriend, played by Leslie Mann.
Following an encounter with a mysterious janitor on a bridge, his character transforms into his 17-year-old self, played by Efron, in a bid to redo his life for a better outcome.
The 2009 comedy proved to be a box office hit, grossing $139.5 million worldwide, including $64.2 million domestically.
Now days after Perry’s tragic passing aged 54, his friend, actress Athenna Crosby, who dined with him just a day before his death, revealed how the Whole Nine Yards star “wanted to make a movie about his life and have a biopic made.”
She told People magazine that he “wanted Zac Efron, who's played him already to play him again because he said he did such a good job”.
Crosby's comments comes after the actor died as a result of an apparent drowning in an outdoor hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28.
Initial tests have revealed that he did not have fentanyl or meth in his blood system when he died, according to reports.
While no drug paraphernalia is said to have been found at the scene, Perry, who shot to fame in the 1990s as wise-cracking Chandler Bing on the hit US sitcom, Friends, spoke openly of his alcohol and substance abuse issues in the past.
Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office confirmed on Tuesday that an autopsy on Perry was complete, but his exact cause of death has been “deferred” as it awaits a more in-depth toxicology report, which can take weeks.
At the time of his passing, Perry was said to be "sober and active in AA program".
Perry's Friends co-stars Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer have paid tribute to him in a joint statement, saying that they are "utterly devastated" by his death.
"We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," they added.
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
