Tributes have been pouring in from friends, family, and fans for the beloved Matthew Perry after his sudden death on Saturday, October 28.
Among the tributes was a previously unpublished photo of Matthew Perry and a sweet memory of his early days as a member of the cast of Friends.
“And what you saw in that picture was not me telling them how to smile, how to hold their bodies, how to… She’s kind of right behind him. It’s all great. He looks very handsome,” photographer George Lange said of his photograph.
In 1995, Lange was assigned to photograph Entertainment Weekly’s Fall TV preview issue. In addition to shooting Seinfeld, Frasier, and ER, Lange was also tasked with shooting the case of the already popular sitcom, Friends.
For the shoot, Lange had a wall built with several geometric shapes attached to it. His idea was the cast would climb into the shapes, but beyond that he wasn’t sure what to do.
Luckily, the cast knew exactly how to pose after Lange told them to “hold each other.”
“So when they climb in the box, I’m not telling them what to do because they’re already doing it. They already have that relationship,” he told People. “So I’m just letting them control the situation in a way. I mean, I’m making sure the light’s good and all that stuff, but the thrill for me is to see how they interact naturally, not how I tell them to interact.”
“And they held each other and they couldn’t have been more professional or sweeter or really more beautiful. They all looked amazing.”
Lange shared a previously unreleased photo of Perry and Jennifer Aniston from that shoot on his Instagram Saturday.
Alongside the photo, the photographer told the story of how he had attended a 50th birthday party Friday, only to learn about Perry’s death the following day.
“I went to my friends 50th birthday party last night. She was wearing a crown announcing her achievement and was hitting 50 with all the confidence you would hope for. At one point she looked at me and said, ‘We are so lucky to be alive! To be here with our families and friends – healthy and sharing all of this joy.’ “
He went on to explain to his friend how life only gets better after 50, but then, mentioning how Perry died at 54, he reflected on how sometimes life is cut short.
“We need to embrace everyday. Every single day.”
Rest in peace to the wonderful Matthew Perry. He will never be forgotten.
READ MORE:
- New detail in how Matthew Perry’s body was found comes to light
- “Friends” cast members break silence on death of Matthew Perry
