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Jennifer Aniston, other 'Friends' co-stars each honor Matthew Perry

The cast of "Friends" is continuing to remember their late co-star, Matthew Perry, more than two weeks ater his death.
The cast of "Friends" is pictrued.
Posted at 5:13 PM, Nov 15, 2023

The stars of "Friends" have each crafted their own heartfelt tributes to their late co-star Matthew Perry, more than two weeks after his sudden death.

Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer added their fond memories to Instagram Wednesday, a day after fellow co-stars Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc did the same.

Aniston, who played Rachel Green on "Friends," said she's never experienced a wave of emotions similar to what's been spurred by saying goodbye to "our Matty."

"He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be," Aniston wrote. 

She spoke of how Perry's life depended on making people laugh — " and boy did he succeed in doing just that" — and shared a text message he once sent her out of nowhere that "says it all." It reads, "Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day :)"

"Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying 'could you BE any crazier?'" Aniston wrote, employing one of his character Chandler Bing's signature phrases.

David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller, similarly thanked Perry for creating a family out of the six strangers who made up the cast. His character eventually became Chandler Bing's brother-in-law after he married Cox's Monica Geller.

He wrote Wednesday of Perry's "incredible comic timing and delivery" and his heart, alongside a photo of one of his favorite moments with his late friend. It stems from a Thanksgiving episode of the show in which the pair's characters donned suits and gelled their hair back.

"I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around — 'Could there BE any more clouds?'" Schwimmer wrote.

Later Wednesday, Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, thanked Perry for making her laugh every day and for his "open heart in a six way relationship."

"Thank you for showing up at work when you weren't well and then, being completely brilliant. Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew," Kudrow wrote.

A day before, LeBlanc, who played Bing's roommate and best friend Joey Tribbiani on the sitcom, said goodbye to his co-star and the life they shared.

"The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life," he wrote. "It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. 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."

As did Cox, who shared a clip from the show as one of "thousands of moments I wish I could share."

"In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind," Cox wrote. "I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day."

Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. He was 54 years old. 

Two days later, the cast of "Friends" — including LeBlanc and Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer — issued a joint statement about the loss.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," the statement read. "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. 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 Perry's death, many fans and former co-stars have also paid homage to his life and legacy, particularly his work in helping those struggling with addiction.

On Nov. 3, the Matthew Perry Foundation went live, which is currently accepting donations to help make "a difference in as many lives as possible" in his honor, its mission statement reads.