Gone but not forgotten. Matthew Perry’s friends and former co-stars released heartfelt messages about the actor after his tragic death at age 54 on October 28.
The actor was reportedly found dead in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles area home after his assistant returned from running an errand, according to TMZ. Law enforcement sources believe the actor drowned.
Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. The ensemble cast, which included Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, was one of the biggest shows of the decade, even earning Perry an Emmy nomination in 2002.
When the audition for Friends popped up, Perry was signed on to a different show. Luckily, things fell through and he was able to land the role of a lifetime.
“It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. “It wasn’t that I thought I could play ‘Chandler’; I was Chandler.”
While he found success on screen, Perry’s real life was filled with ups and downs as he battled addiction. The actor said in his book that he spent more than $9 million in his lifetime in an effort to get sober, explaining, “I’ve been in a mental institution, gone to therapy twice a week for thirty years, been to death’s door.”
However, at the time of his book’s release, the Massachusetts native was sober and dedicated his life to helping others battle addiction.
“The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” Perry said during a podcast interview with Tom Power in 2022. “When I die … I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
Keep reading to see tributes from Perry’s former co-stars and more.
Salma Hayek
Salma took to Instagram to pen a thoughtful tribute to her former film co-star.
“Two days ago, I woke up to the shocking news that Matthew Perry is no longer with us,” Salma wrote via Instagram. “It’s taken me a couple of days to process this profound sadness. There is a special bond that happens when you share dreams with someone, and together, you work towards them. I was very moved last year when Matthew shared on his Instagram stories how much he loved Fools Rush In, and how he thought that that film we did together was probably his best movie. Throughout the years, he and I found ourselves reminiscing about that meaningful time in our lives with a deep sense of nostalgia and gratitude. My friend, you are gone much too soon, but I will continue to cherish your silliness, your perseverance and your lovely heart. Farewell, sweet Matthew, we will never forget you.”
Ione Skye
Matthew’s A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon co-star Ione Skye posted screenshots of her last text exchange with the actor a week prior to his death. “I’m very sad. Loved this guy,” she wrote.
In the texts, the Friends star said that he’d thought of her and wanted to say hello. “I hope all is well. I was meditating (I meditate now) and “In You Eyes” started playing. And I instantly thought of you and how beautiful you are,” he wrote. “Hope you are healthy and happy.”
In her responses, Skye showed love to Perry, telling him that it was “good to hear” from him and that she had “nice memories” of working with him. “Me too. That one afternoon I was sitting in my apartment, and there you were!” he wrote.
Adele
Adele took time out of her Las Vegas residency concert to honor Matthew on Saturday, October 28. She spoke about how much the character Chandler meant to her, as she spoke about Perry’s courage. “He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave,” she said in footage shared on social media. “I love what he did for us.
Hank Azaria
Fellow actor Hank Azaria credited Perry with helping him get sober, by bringing him to Alcoholics Anonymous for the first time in an Instagram video. He said that they regularly went to meetings when he first got sober. “As a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise, and he totally helped me get sober,” he said.
Earlier in the clip, he also spoke about the sitcom star’s amazing sense of humor. “He was just the funniest man ever. He just lived to laugh,” he said.
Yvette Nicole Brown
Yvette Nicole Brown, who co-starred with Perry on The Odd Couple, said she was “heartbroken” to learn of his passing in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “The first thing, when someone passes, you immediately go through your pictures like you wanna remember moments, and so I scrolled back to a lot of the pictures that I had from when we worked together,” she said. “There’s been so much talk about his comedy, and his ability to lighten loads with his gift. But his greatest gift was his heart.”
Christina Ricci
The Addams Family alum Christina Ricci revealed that though she never met Perry, she was still a major Friends fan, and Chandler was her favorite character. “I burst into tears when I read the news today. I never met Matthew Perry, but I loved him. Friends saved me numerous times during hard and lonely times in my life,” she wrote on Instagram. “I watched all his movies. He was a genius.”
She also spoke about Matthew’s battles with addiction and how inspiring his book was. “I’m heartbroken this man suffered so much in life while giving us so much of himself,” she wrote. “If you’re struggling with addiction issues [the book] might just save your life. May he finally rest in peace.”
Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth was another celebrity fan who paid tribute to Matthew at one of his concerts. During his Melbourne show, he played “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts, which was the theme song for Friends, and the crowd sang along, as shown in a fan-shot TikTok.
Valerie Bertinelli
“Rest in peace, sweet man,” Perry’s former Sydney co-star wrote via her Instagram Story.
Morgan Fairchild
The actress who played Chandler’s mom, Nora Bing, took to X to reflect on her former co-star.
“I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son,’ Matthew Perry,” she wrote. “The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest.”
I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest. #RIPMatthew pic.twitter.com/QWMsBVJEAr
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) October 29, 2023
Maggie Wheeler
The actress played Janice, Chandler’s on-again, off-again love interest, on Friends for 19 episodes.
“What a loss,” Wheeler wrote via Instagram. “The world will miss you, Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too-short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
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,” the actress wrote via Instagram. “And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams, Matty. Sweet dreams.”
Rumer Willis
The daughter of Bruce Willis, who starred with Perry in The Whole Nine Yards, recounted a loving memory of Perry via her Instagram Story.
“When I was a kid and I was on set while he and my dad were doing Whole Nine and Whole Ten Yards, he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sisters and me and I think his physical comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much,” she wrote. “I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy. I hope he can rest peacefully.”
Justin Trudeau
The Canadian Prime Minister, who went to school with Perry in Ottawa, Canada, called his death “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,” he continued on X. “Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved — and you will be missed.”
Timothy Busfield
“Matty Perry was a gem. I had the great, good fortune to act with and also direct him on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” Busfield said in a statement to People. “He was a good, good man and a sweet, funny soul who will be missed, desperately. Not only by his millions of devoted fans, but by those co-workers and friends who he made crumble to the floor with his fast and searing wit.”
