Tributes continue to pour in for Matthew Perry, the beloved Friends actor who died at his Los Angeles home on October 28 at the age of 54.
In recent days, Perry’s co-stars on the beloved sitcom have broken their silence and shared heartwarming tributes to the late actor. This afternoon, Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe on the beloved NBC comedy, has shared a touching final tribute to Perry on social media.
In her heartfelt Instagram post, Kudrow, 60, reflected first meeting Perry after filming the pilot of Friends, then called Friends Like Us. She says that after the pilot got picked up, Perry made an effort to bond with his new co-star.
“You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded,” Kudrow recalled. “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,” she wrote. “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,” she wrote. Perry had battled alcohol and drug addiction while filming the hit sitcom.
“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.”
Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow enjoyed a close friendship, both during and after their time on the classic sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons and ended in 2004.
Perry had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for much of his career, but Kudrow and his other Friends co-stars always lent their support.
“It’s a hideous disease, and he has a tough version of it,” Kudrow told the New York Times last year. “What’s not changing is his will to keep going, keep fighting and keep living.”
“I love Matthew a lot. We’re part of a family. I’m basically ending this with ‘I’ll be there for you,’ but it’s true. I’ll always be there for him.”
Perry was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on October 28. Friends found the actor in his hot tub. Despite his many years of addiction struggles, he had been sober in recent years and no illegal drugs were found on the scene. The cause of death is unknown, pending toxicology reports.
After Perry’s death, a source close to Kudrow told the Daily Mail that she was “baffled” by his passing. The source also claimed she was considering taking in Perry’s dog Alfred, but that proved to be untrue, as the dog has reportedly been in the care of Perry’s ex Molly Hurwitz.
Tributes from “Friends” cast members
Days after his passing, the surviving Friends cast members 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 read.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
In recent days, Matt LeBlanc, Courtney Cox, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston have all released personal tributes to the late actor.
“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life,” LeBlanc wrote on Instagram. “It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. 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,” he continued. “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me,” he joked.
Cox, who played Chandler’s love interest-turned-wife Monica, shared a funny behind-the-scenes memory from the first time their characters hooked up, and praised her co-star for his humor and kindness: “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote.
Earlier today, Aniston released her tribute to Perry in a sweet Instagram post. “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,” she wrote.
“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?'” she wrote. “Rest little brother. You always made my day.”
David Schwimmer also released his tribute today, sharing a throwback photo of him and Perry on the set of Friends, calling it one of his “favorite moments” with Perry.
“Matty, Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity,” Schwimmer wrote. “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,” he continued. “Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.”
The cast of Friends were there for each other on and off screen, and it’s heartwarming to read all the kind words Perry’s co-stars have for him after his death. Rest in peace, Matthew Perry ?❤️
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