Zac Efron pays tribute to '17 Again' co-star Matthew Perry at his Walk of Fame ceremony

Nearly 18 years after skyrocketing to fame as Troy Bolton in Disney's hit film "High School Musical," Zac Efron has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He began his speech at the Dec. 11 ceremony by thanking many of his collaborators over the years, including his late "17 Again" co-star Matthew Perry, who was found dead at 54 at his California home on Oct. 28.

Efron said Perry had been "so kind and generous" when they worked together on "17 Again," a film that featured Efron as Perry after he's magically turned into a high school student again.

Efron said working with Perry had been "so much fun" and inspirational.

"It really did propel me and motivate me, in so many ways," he said. "It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career and for that, thank you so much, Matthew. Thinking about you a lot today."

Efron also thanked Kenny Ortega, the director of the "High School Musical" films, and Bill Borden, one of the producers of the popular franchise.

"I mean, you guys were both instrumental in giving me my start in 'High School Musical,'" he said. "And for that I'm just eternally, eternally grateful, you have no idea.

"I still think about it every day — I sing the songs in the shower," he quipped, as a fan shouted, "Me too!"

"And yeah, go Wildcats," Efron laughed as the crowd cheered.

Efron was joined by one of his co-stars in the upcoming film "The Iron Claw," Jeremy Allen White. White and Efron play brothers who were part of a Texas wrestling dynasty, the Von Erich family, in the movie.

Efron, who plays Kevin Von Erich in the film, thanked the family for letting him be a "small part" of their legacy.

"You are my hero," he said, addressing Kevin Von Erich. "And thank you for sharing your life and your experience with us and for allowing me to be a part of your family."

He went on to thank his real-life family, whom he called his "first fans" and who were in the audience.

"There's been a lot of sacrifices that you guys have made for me over my life and and it couldn't have been easy, but thanks for believing in me," he said, addressing his parents and his brother, Dylan Efron. "You're the reason I'm here today."

He concluded by thanking his fans, whom he said "have no idea how much this means to me."

"I do this all for you every day and this really is the biggest honor," he said as the crowd screamed. "This day means so much to me. And to share it with all of you is just a dream come true. So thank you so much."

After the ceremony, Efron continued to express gratitude for the event and its guest speakers: White, Miles Teller and “The Iron Claw” director Sean Durkin.

"What an honor. I want to thank everyone who attended today…Miles, Jeremy, and Sean -your words mean more to me than you will ever know…It was a truly a humbling moment for me surrounded by those I love," he wrote on Instagram.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com