Michelle Trachtenberg's Eerie Comment On Matthew Perry's Death Is So Tragic Now

Matthew Perry's death in 2023 had left Michelle Trachtenberg unsettled. The two worked together on the comedy film "17 Again" where Perry played Trachtenberg's father. Reportedly, she did not handle it well when the "Friends" star died in October 2023. "Michelle was really rattled when Matthew died because she did not expect it," a friend of the "Gossip Girl" actor told the Daily Mail after her death. "It was hard for her because she knew Matthew when she was so young, he made an impression on her," the friend added, referencing their time together in the 2009 movie. "Matthew's death was on her mind frequently ... So when she went in for surgery for her liver, she thought she might be next," they told the Daily Mail.

Even though the passing of her former costar left Trachtenberg uneasy, the circumstances surrounding the two actors' deaths were completely different. While Trachtenberg's official cause of death will not be known because her family decided against an autopsy, she had serious health issues and underwent a liver transplant not long before her passing. Meanwhile, Perry's official cause of death was "acute effects of ketamine."

Their causes of death may have been unrelated, but shortly after Trachtenberg's passing in February 2025 was announced, fans noted her on-screen connection with Perry. "We lost both Michelle Trachtenberg and Matthew Perry who played father and daughter in '17 Again,'" one X, formerly Twitter, user wrote. "I hope they've found each other. Both taken way too soon," another tweeted. Fans of the movie also flocked to Zac Efron's page after her death, as he played the younger version of Perry in the film.

Following Michelle Trachtenberg's death, "17 Again" fans flooded Zac Efron's Instagram page with comments about his former costar. Even though Efron's most recent post was made weeks before the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actor's death, it did not stop fans of the 2000s comedy from commenting on her passing. "RIP MAGGIE FROM 17 again," one Instagram user wrote. "Anyone else here for Maggie / Michelle," another replied. It had been over 15 years since the film's release, but the project clearly left an impact.

Not only did "17 Again" resonate with fans long after its release, but it also left an impression on the cast. While working on "17 Again," Efron and Matthew Perry got along so well that the "Fools Rush In" star wanted to tap the younger actor for a special project. "He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life," Athenna Crosby, a friend of Perry's who spent time with him in his final days, told Entertainment Tonight in November 2023. Apparently, Perry wanted Efron to reprise his "17 Again" role, of sorts. "[H]e 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 added.

After news circulated that Perry was going to ask Efron to play himself, the "Neighbors" star weighed in on the possibility. "I was hugely honored. It would be extraordinary to do, " Efron told Extra in November 2023. "I'm still devastated by the fact that he is gone ... We'll see what happens."