The cast of Friends paid tribute to Matthew Perry, calling him “family” in a joint statement following the actor’s sudden death.
“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, via People. “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,” the joint statement from ennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc continues. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Friends ran for 10 wildly successful seasons, and Perry — through his portrayal of Chandler Bing — imbued the hit sitcom with its sarcastic soul. As Rolling Stone’s TV critic Alan Sepinwall wrote: “Chandler’s snarky, guarded response to the world became an essential, hilarious counterweight to the sentimentality of the rest of Friends. Without Chandler, the more sincere elements of the show could have drowned in their own schmaltz.”
Perry died Oct. 28, at the age of 54. An official cause of death hasn’t been revealed yet, but law enforcement said that Perry died in an apparent drowning at his home in Los Angeles. Perry’s family said in a statement, “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 a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Along with the statement from Perry’s primary Friends castmates, tributes have poured in from others involved in the hit sitcom (as well as many others outside the show’s orbit). Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright said they were “shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing.”
They added: “He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment — not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
The actress Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s famous on-again-off-again girlfriend, Janice Goralnik, said: “Matthew was an incredibly generous actor. There was no single time I stepped onto a stage with him that I did not feel lifted by his brilliance. Even in his darkest moments, his comedic timing was impeccable.”
Others who’ve paid tribute to Perry include Adele and Charlie Puth, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who grew up with Perry in Ottawa, Canada.
From Rolling Stone US
