While a guest on CBS Morning, another one of Matthew Perry’s co-stars is speaking out.
Lauren Graham, who is best known for her role on Gilmore Girls, also acted alongside Perry several times on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Odd Couple, and *Go On. *The friends also reportedly dated early on in their careers, though neither Perry nor Graham have confirmed those rumors.
Yet despite their rumored romantic relationship, Graham and Perry remained great friends for a long time. Now Graham is remembering Perry, admitting she still hasn’t come to terms with this unexpected passing.
“No one made me laugh as hard,” Graham said.
“I mean, just tears streaming. There was just such joy in being around him and being his friend.”
“And I’ll say too, that this last year, he was so proud of the book he wrote and of how many people it touched. And it was a success that gave him a level of happiness that I hadn’t seen in him for a really long time. So that’s a nice memory.”
Graham was a part of Perry’s memoir. Perry shared a picture of the two of them together.
“It’s just a really tragic loss and he leaves his beautiful work behind and that’s something to be thankful for,” Graham added. “And again, the book really meant something to him. So it was a really happy year for him.”
The Friends cast has continued to say their goodbyes as well. Now Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow are doing the same.
In a heartbreaking statement by Aniston, she admitted she’s never felt emotions quite like she’s been feeling since her brother Matthew Perry passed away.
“Oh boy this one has cut deep… Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep.”
Aniston continued, “And we loved him deeply. 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. For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn’t hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it.”
“And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all. (See the second slide…)”
Aniston concluded her statement, writing, “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?’ Rest little brother. You always made my day”
Lisa Kudrow followed suit:
Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then…
You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that.
Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY.
Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of “talking.”
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.
And so did David Schwimmer, writing:
Cox played Monica Geller, Chandler’s wife, on Friends. Cox shared a blooper reel of the scene that first introduced Monica and Chandler as a couple.
In the caption read, “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day. When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.”
“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. 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.”
Matt LeBlanc, the actor who played Joey Tribiani on Friends, has shared his own personal statement following the death of his co-star and beloved friend, Matthew Perry.
For years, the actors played best friends on the show, only to become that in real life. Now LeBlanc is sharing a few words of his own after sharing a joint statement with the rest of the Friends cast.
Alongside several photos of their time on set as Joey and Chandler, LeBlanc wrote, “Matthew, It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.”
LeBlanc continued, “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.”
Truly heartbreaking.
Perry was discovered unconscious in his hot tub on October 28. He was just 54 years old.
While is cause of death has yet to be revealed, pending the result of several more test, the beloved actor has been laid to rest. The ceremony reportedly took place at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.
According to previous reported, the ceremony lasted about an hour and was attended by LeBlanc, the rest of the cast, and many of his closest friends and family.
Shortly before his funeral, the cast of Friends shared a joint statement exclusively with People. The statement signed by Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer read:
“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.
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.”
Our thoughts and prayers remain with Perry’s loved ones.
