Celebrity
The Friends Cast Mourned Together At Matthew Perry’s Funeral
Perry’s co-stars were among the family and close friends at the private service.
It was “The One with Too Much Heartbreak” on Nov. 3. Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc reunited to honor their late co-star and friend Matthew Perry at his funeral. The private event was attended by Perry’s family and his closest loved ones, according to Time.
Perry’s service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, a source told People. The outlet noted that it was not far from Warner Bros. Studios, where Friends filmed from 1994 to 2004. The surviving five Friends stars were photographed together outside the church, and the Daily Mail reports that Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, and Schwimmer arrived together, meeting LeBlanc there.
Friends That Became Family
The Friends cast saw each other as family after spending 10 years of working together on the beloved sitcom. After Perry’s unexpected death on Oct. 28, the remaining five came together to memorialize him in a joint statement to People.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” they said. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Their statement noted that the actors will speak more about Perry and their loss in the future, but it will be “as and when [they] can.” In the meantime, they sent thoughts and love to “Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Perry’s Legacy
Though he was widely known for playing the character he made iconic, Chandler Bing, Perry wanted to be best remembered for helping people. He shared that sentiment during a November 2022 appearance on the Q With Tom Power podcast, saying he was “going to live the rest of [his] life proving that.”
Tragically, Perry’s life was cut short by an apparent drowning in his hot tub at age 54, but he had a chance to speak out about his struggles with substance use disorder in recent years, notably with the release of his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Explaining why he wrote it, he told People, “The main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”
If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
