Matt LeBlanc Pens Heartbreaking Tribute to Matthew Perry: 'I'll Never Forget You'
The actor shared a gallery of images from his and Perry's time on 'Friends.'
Matt LeBlanc is remembering his late Friends co-star Matthew Perry. Two weeks after the actor died unexpectedly at 54 years old, LeBlanc shared an emotional tribute to Perry, who starred as his roommate and best friend Chandler Bing opposite LeBlanc's Joey Tribbiani on the hit sitcom.
"Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend," he wrote alongside a gallery of images from their time on Friends. "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. And I guess you're keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."
LeBlanc and Perry starred alongside one another on Friends for 10 years, with Perry earning an Emmy nomination in 2002. The duo, along with many of their castmates, reunited in 2021 to film HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion special. With his statement, LeBlanc became the first Friends cast member to release an individual statement regarding Perry's passing. Two days after his death, LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer 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. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss," they shared. "In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Since his passing, a number of Perry's Friends scene partners have broken their silence. Paget Brewster, whose character Kathy dated Perry's Chandler in Season 4, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "I'm so very sad to hear about Matthew Perry. He was lovely to me on 'Friends' and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won't rest in peace though...He's already too busy making everyone laugh up there." Meanwhile, Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler's on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice in Season 1, wrote, "What a loss. 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." Reacting to his passing, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman said she was in "utter shock."
Perry was found unresponsive at his L.A. home in his hot tub on Oct. 28. Perry's cause of death has been deferred pending an in-depth toxicology report.
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