Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer have released a joint statement paying tribute to their Friends co-star Matthew Perry, who died on Saturday at the age of 54.
“We are all completely devastated by the loss of Matthew,” the five said. “We were more than just friends. We are Family. There is so much to say, but we will now take a moment to grieve and process this incomparable loss. We will say more over time, as and when we can. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Perry, who was best known for his performance as the sarcastic and lovable Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, law enforcement sources told the media Saturday night, according to The Guardian.
An autopsy and toxicology report will determine the cause of death, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said.
Friends, a comedy about six young people living in New York, was a phenomenon, winning multiple Emmys and achieving record ratings; after 10 seasons, the final episode in 2004 reached more than 52 million viewers in the US, making it the most-watched TV episode of the 2000s.
Perry has been open about his struggles with addiction and sobriety, writing in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing about how he became an alcoholic as a teenager and his addiction to painkillers after jet ski accident in 1997. He later admitted that he couldn’t watch Friends again because the fluctuations in his health were so visible. “I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I was 58 kg, I was on a show that was watched by 30 million people – and that’s why I can’t watch it, because I was brutally thin,” he said.
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, along with executive producer Kevin Bright, released a joint statement Sunday, using a play on the show’s episode titles, saying, “The one where our hearts are broken.”
“It still seems impossible,” they wrote. “All we can say is that we feel blessed that he was a part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliché to say that an actor plays his part, but in Matthew’s case, that couldn’t be more true. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always appreciate the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not only in his work, but in life. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with such a noble and selfless heart. We send all our love to his family and friends.”
Perry’s family posted: “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and as a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate your messages of love.”
Selma Blair, Hank Azaria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also paid tribute to Perry after his death.
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