Hank Azaria Recalls How ‘Brother’ Matthew Perry Helped Him on His Sobriety Journey in Emotional Video

Hank Azaria recently spent some time reflecting on his friendship with late “brother” Matthew Perry. In a very emotional video shared the day after Perry’s death, The Simpsons actor shared how his former Friends castmate helped him in his sobriety journey. “We drank a lot together, and we laughed a lot together,” recalled Azaria. “We were there for each other in the early days of our career.”

Perry was well-known for starring as Chandler Bing in Friends, while Azaria appeared in several episodes of Friends as David, a romantic interest of Lisa Kudrow’s character, Phoebe Buffay. “He was as funny as he was on Friends and on other things too, in person he was just the funniest man ever,” Azaria said, later adding that Perry was a comedic “genius” who “lived to laugh.”

Azaria went on to address Perry’s past substance abuse struggles, saying, “I really loved him. A lot of us who were close to him felt like we lost him to drugs and alcohol a long time ago.” He then revealed how Perry supported him through his own battle for sobriety.

“The night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in. The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together,” Azaria shared. “I got to tell him this, as a sober person he was so caring and giving and wise, and he totally helped me get sober. I really wish he could have found it in himself to stay with the sober life more consistently.” 

“It’s heartbreaking for those of us who loved him and knew him really well personally, we just missed him,” Azaria went on to add. “It’s one of the terrible things about this disease is it just takes away the person you love.”

The actor finally concluded his message, “He was so brilliant. I just wish I and the world could have gotten what the rest of his career would have been.”

On Saturday, Oct. 28,  first responders discovered Perry’s body after receiving a call to his residence. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. According to law enforcement sources who spoke with TMZ, initial tests determined that Perry did not have fentanyl or meth in his system at the time of his death. The outlet notes that more in-depth tests are being done as well, but it could take up to six months for results. While Perry had been open in the past about his struggles with substance abuse, PEOPLE reports that no drugs were found at the scene, and police do not suspect foul play.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call the National Drug Helpline at (844) 289-0879.