Matthew Perry was working on several big projects before his tragic death on Oct. 28 — including a biopic about his life.
Perry’s pal Athenna Crosby — who was one of the last people to see the actor alive — told “Entertainment Tonight” that the “Friends” actor “wanted to make a movie about his life” starring “17 Again” co-star Zac Efron.
“He had worked with Zac Efron in the past on a movie, and he said that he wanted Zac Efron to play him as a younger version [of himself] and that he was gonna ask him soon to do that,” Crosby, 25, told the outlet Wednesday.
“He was just looking forward to sharing more about his story and his recovery from addiction, and really championing that cause to help more people, so he was so optimistic and happy about everything that he wanted to do.”
Crosby added that Perry was so “enthusiastic” about the project and “absolutely looking forward to life” before he died at age 54 from an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home.
The entertainment reporter was photographed grabbing a bite to eat with the “Fools Rush In” actor at Hotel Bel-Air at around 2:30 p.m. Friday — just over 24 hours before Perry was found dead.
Crosby, who insisted she and Perry were just friends, said the actor was in great spirits during their hour-long lunch and they mostly talked about “some of the upcoming projects that he wanted to work on.”
“He is a very funny person, as most people know him to be. He’s goofy, he’s silly. He was cracking jokes the whole time,” she said.
“He was talking about how there’s been a public resurgence of interest in him lately and how he was hoping to utilize that to have a second act in his career,” the model continued. “He was happy as a clam. So, that’s the person that I spoke to.”
Crosby came forward on Instagram Tuesday after a photo of her and the late actor dining together was obtained by TMZ.
While Crosby never intended to speak up about her friendship with the actor, she said she wanted to clear the air about the dynamic of their relationship.
“I am so devastated from his death but felt it was in poor taste to talk about it publicly as the attention should not be on me but rather on him and his legacy and he was an extremely private person and I always respected that in our friendship,” she wrote.
Crosby also urged fans to “refrain from any speculation surrounding his death,” insisting that he was “on a comeback.”
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The beloved actor was pronounced dead shortly after his assistant found him unresponsive in his jacuzzi, which he posted an eerie photo swimming in just days before his death.
There was reportedly no traces of fentanyl or meth in his system, yet his cause of death has yet to be released.
While Perry was in possession of prescription medications — such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs — there were no illegal substances found on the premises.
