Friends co-creators/executive producers Marta Kauffman and David Crane along with series EP/director Kevin Bright have issued a somber statement following the unexpected death of actor Matthew Perry Saturday.
“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” the trio wrote in a joint statement. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.
“He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment — not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
The trio ended their tribute with a sad spin on the series’ renowned episode titles.
“We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
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The main Friends cast — Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Courteney Cox — has yet to share their thoughts.
As we reported, Perry died Saturday after his assistant found the actor unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home. Initial speculation that he had drowned has not been confirmed, although TMZ reports that there were no drugs found at the scene and foul play is not suspected.
Other Friends co-stars paying tribute to Perry include Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, the on-again-off-again girlfriend of Perry’s character Chandler Bing. “What a loss,” the actress wrote on Instagram late Saturday. “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.”
“I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry,” Morgan Fairchild, who made guest appearances as Chandler’s mom in Friends between 1995-2001, wrote on X. “The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest.”