Zac Efron confesses he thinks about Matthew Perry 'every day' since his death

Zac Efron has shared how the death of Matthew Perry has affected him "a lot" and he has thought about the late actor "every day."

The Friends star passed away on October 28 at the age of 54 after he was found "unresponsive in the pool at his residence," in Los Angeles.

It was recently announced Perry's cause of death was accidental and he died of "acute effects of ketamine," as he received ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety before his death.

While "drowning, coronary artery disease and the effect of buprenorphine" were also listed as contributing factors.

Actors Michelle Trachtenberg, Zac Efron, Leslie Mann and Matthew Perry arrive at the premiere of Warner Bros. "17 Again" held at Grauman's Chinese Theater on April 14, 2009 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Since Perry's death, his 17 Again (2009) co-star Zac Efron has spoken fondly of working with him when he played the younger version of Perry's character in the comedy film.

"He was in a unique position for me in my career, and in my life," Efron told Variety.

“His passing is affecting me a lot.”

Efron who starred in the new sports thrillerIron Claw (2023), also noted how being in the spotlight can affect an actor's mental health and admitted he wished he reached out to Perry more.

"It can be incredibly lonely, being an actor and being in the spotlight. It definitely can be isolating," Efron explained.

"It’s very important to reach out to friends and foster relationships where you can talk and share stories. I wish in the past couple of years that I had an opportunity to do that with Matthew."

He added: "I hold the time we shared together really dear.

"I’ve been thinking about him a lot, every day."

It's not the first time Efron has praised Perry, as he paid tribute to the late actor during his speech after receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 11.

“Collaborating with him and [director Burr Steers] - 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, for that, thank you so much Matthew," he said.

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.