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A deep sense of loss has swept over Hollywood as tributes from all corners of the industry roll in to celebrate the life of late Friends star Matthew Perry.
Tragically, Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home after an apparent drowning incident on October 28, 2023. He was 54 years old.
The beloved actor was best known for his character Chandler Bing in the award-winning sitcom Friends. However, the star’s recent memoir shed light on his struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism, which affected the majority of his adult life. According to reports, no drugs were found at the scene and law enforcement has allegedly ruled out any suspicion of foul play.
In the hours that followed the announcement, legions of grief-stricken posts trickled in from Hollywood alumni.
Two days after his passing, his Friends co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, released a joint statement. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement reads.
The 2021 made-for-TV special Friends: The Reunion was the last time the six leads were together under the same roof. Since then, each of the cast has individually posted their own memories of Perry, including Aniston sharing private text exchanges between them and Kudrow thanking Perry for “showing up at work when you weren’t well… and then being completely brilliant.”
Amongst the outpour of bereavement came one surprising post from Gwyneth Paltrow.
Though neither Perry nor Paltrow had publicly discussed their friendship before this, Paltrow revealed in her eulogy that they shared a brief “magical summer” romance in 1993—just before Perry skyrocketed to fame in Friends. “He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass,” wrote Paltrow.
Ahead, the celebrity tributes honouring Matthew Perry’s life and legacy and prove that even in death, friends will always be there for you.
Celebrity tributes for Matthew Perry, including Gwyneth Paltrow and the Friends cast
The Friends Cast, including Jennifer Anniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now, we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.
“In time, we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Jennifer Aniston
“Oh boy this one has cut deep… Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep. And we loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be. For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn’t hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all. (See the second slide…)
Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying ‘Could you BE any crazier?’
Rest little brother.
You always made my day…
❤️🕊️”
Courteney Cox
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you, Matty, and I miss you every day,” she wrote in an emotional Instagram post alongside a clip of one of their most iconic Friends scenes together. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here’s one of my favourites.”
“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one-night fling in London,” the actress explained in the caption. “But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny, and he was kind. 🤍🕊️”
Lisa Kudrow
“Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then…
You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that.
Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY.
Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of “talking.”
Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant.
Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you.
Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
Matt LeBlanc
“Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life,” LeBlanc wrote on Instagram alongside a carousel of the two portraying best friends Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing in Friends.
“It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend,” he continued. “I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.”
LeBlanc ended his message with a Joey-esque joke: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
David Schwimmer
“Matty,
Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity.
I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes.
And you had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.
This photo is from one of my favourite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time.
I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around—
“Could there BE any more clouds?”
Gwyneth Paltrow
“I met Matthew Perry in 1993 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. We were both there for most of the summer doing plays. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass. It was a magical summer. He had shot the pilot of Friends but it had not aired yet. He was nervous, hoping his big break was just around the corner. It was. We stayed friends for a while until we drifted apart, but I was always happy to see him when I did. I am super sad today, as so many of us are. I hope Matthew is at peace at long last. I really do.”
Selma Blair
“My oldest boy friend. All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams.”
Adele
Adele pays tribute to Matthew Perry at her show in Vegas:
“He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave. I just wanna say how much I love what he did for all of us” pic.twitter.com/mOYZGwsraV
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 29, 2023
Adele took a moment of silence during one of her Las Vegas residency shows to honour Matthew Perry’s passing. Her complete statement read:
“It’s always quite shocking when someone, especially someone who made you laugh, who brought so much joy to your life, that you don’t know—this is what I find so strange. I’ve never met him in my life. It’s happened with a few other comedians and stuff like that. But, there’s something you feel so sad about it. Especially because you don’t necessarily know what’s going on.
“Some of my favourite memories when I was younger with my friends, and one of my friends, Andrew, when I was 12 did the best Chandler impression. He would do it all the time to make us laugh and if any of us were having a bad day or feeling low, he would just pretend to be Chandler.
“I will remember that character for the rest of my life. It was a really big part of my life. He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which is incredibly brave. I just want to say how much I love what he did for us. Especially what he did for me. One of the best comedians, and hopefully, now he can rest in peace.
Justin Trudeau
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, tweeted about Matthew Perry, his childhood classmate.
Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 29, 2023
