Matthew Perry has revealed that Zac Efron turned down an offer to star in his feature directorial debut.

During an interview on SiriusXM’s Pop Culture Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, the Friends actor revealed that he’s finished a screenplay for a romantic comedy and is currently trying to assemble his cast.

“I finished a screenplay that we’re out with to some people. I want to direct that,” he said. “I have a small part in it. I wrote it for myself and then realised I’m 20 years too old to play this. So we’re trying to cast the leads now.”

Matthew then revealed that his 17 Again co-star Zac was his first choice for the lead role but The Greatest Showman actor passed on the project.

“Well, it was Zac Efron, but he said no. So we gotta find somebody who says yes,” he noted.

The 53-year-old, who is currently promoting his memoir Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing, shared that he wanted Aubrey Plaza for the love interest role but she also said no.

“Aubrey Plaza almost did it and that would have been perfect because I think she’s great. There’s some dramatic stuff in this too. She came very close, and it would have been perfect,” he explained.

Matthew has previously directed a 2004 episode of Scrubs and co-created his former shows Mr. Sunshine and The Odd Couple.

He said he is “proud” of his screenplay and thinks he will be a good movie director.

“That’ll be a whole new experience for me, directing a movie, which I think I’ll be good at. I hope I’ll be good at. But that’s the next thing… I’m being offered acting jobs, and also we’re trying to cast this movie, so those are the things that are going on,” he stated.

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