Almost 20 years after saying goodbye to Friends, fans are mourning the late Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom.
Reflecting on the palpable bonds he shared with his castmates, a connection felt through the screen, fans are pouring in with tributes and love for the actor who died October 28.
On October 28, 2023, fans of Friends were shaken after hearing that Matthew Perry, 54, was found dead in his jacuzzi.
Best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit show that topped the ratings over 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004, Perry and his castmates – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – shared an enviable friendship both on and off screen.
“It changed my life in every way. I got the show when I was a 24-year-old man; the show ended when I was 34. It formed my life. And it was the time of my life,” Perry shared with People.
In 2021, before the highly anticipated Friends: The Reunion aired on HBO Max, Perry explained the enduring connection he shared with his co-stars: “The best way that I can describe it is after the show was over, at a party or any kind of social gathering, if one of us bumped into each other, that was it. That was the end of the night. You just sat with the person all night long and that was it.”
He continued, “You apologized to the people you were with, but they had to understand you had met somebody special to you and you were going to talk to that person for the rest of the night. And that’s the way it worked.”
His emotional description of their off-screen friendship drew tears from Cox, 59, Aniston, 54, agreeing. In an earlier interview, Perry referred to his co-stars as “penguins,” who mate for life and rally around their buddies when needed.
“They were understanding, and they were patient,” Perry said in 2022. “It’s like penguins. In nature, when one is sick or very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up and walk around until that penguin can walk on its own. And that’s kind of what the cast did for me.”
The one where the boys are upstaged
One of the most recent examples of the long-time bond between castmates was in an Entertainment Tonight interview with Schwimmer, 56, LeBlanc, 56 and Perry, where the three pals were promoting the 2021 reunion show.
In the video, Perry can be seen waving and putting his finger to his lips to quiet Aniston, Cox and Kudrow, 60 who – while Schwimmer was speaking – were doing a separate interview with another camera.
He was unaware the camera was still focused on him and the other two men.
After Perry motions a “hush” a second time, LeBlanc taps his arms and quietly tells him, “Matty, that’s the girls doing an interview.” LeBlanc then whispered, “You’re on camera.”
Confused, Perry the asked the reporter, “Are you in a three-shot seeing me do that?”
Smiling, he then jokes, “I look crazy.”
Moments later when Perry is asked “How many times today [are you] going to hear ‘can you be any more excited?’” He starts replying, “I’ve heard that a lot…”
Schwimmer, who was sitting to the left of LeBlanc, Perry to the right, starts mimicking Perry’s earlier motions to silence and adds, “I’m going to do this while Matthew’s talking,” and LeBlanc joins in.
“I thought I wasn’t on camera and we’re hearing the other interviews, so I thought people were just talking,” Perry adds, trying to defend himself.
At the end of the interview, the Golden Globe nominee said, “the girls always upstage the guys. Why would they schedule these interviews on the same stage?”
“That’s a great question,” Schwimmer answered.
Then, LeBlanc quipped, “all they could afford is one stage.”
The one where millions of hearts break
Meanwhile, millions of fans are expressing their grief over the loss of the gregarious actor and viewing that interview to remember the real life love shared between the six friends.
“Matt covering his best friend here with genuine love, you can’t fake decades of friendship,” writes one fan.
Others share what they loved most, “I love that Matt and David were being kinda protective over Matthew,” while another says, “I love how Matt comforts Matthew and makes him understand that the girls are also doing the interview.”
“I love how the boys backed up Matthew and copied him when he thought he was off camera,” penned another.
Silently grieving the loss of their long-time friend, none of his co-stars have yet posted individual tributes on social media.
But Friends and Warner Bros TV shared an Instagram post that reads, “We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”
Fans of Friends are sharing their tributes to the man whom they felt was a personal friend.
“FRIENDS was personal. This loss feels personal. Gone too soon,” writes one, while another said, “Even though many of us never met him we all feel like we lost a friend today.”
Referencing the episode titles, a third netizen shares, “The one where a billion hearts just broke. Thank you for the laughs …. You’ll forever be Chandler in my heart.”
The cause of Perry’s death is still unknown.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s office updated its file to say the case has been deferred, which usually means that the post-mortem is complete but more detail is needed.
We agree with that one user who said that Matthew Perry’s death does feel very personal. And while the world is mourning his loss, we send our love and very best to his Friends and family members who are feeling his loss way more than we can ever imagine.
Please share this story and keep his legacy going!