On 28th October, millions around the world mourned the loss of a friend they found in the incredibly funny, sarcastic, yet loving and charismatic Chandler Bing. In the process of delivering an iconic sitcom, the FRIENDS cast gained a chosen family for itself. With the passing of their dear Matty, as they call him, the cast were left “utterly devastated” and at loss of words. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” they said in a joint statement.
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able.” – joint statement
After almost three weeks of grieving in private, the FRIENDS stars, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow turned to social media to not just express their heartache but to also share cherished memories, and celebrate the life of Matthew Perry, aka Chandler Bing.
1. Matt LeBlanc
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Sharing pictures from some of the most iconic scenes that he shared with his on-screen roommate and friend, Chandler Bing, Matt 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.” He also alluded to one of their moments in the show, stating, “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.” His post also included a picture of the cast in a group hug in what seems like the last days of their shoot.
2. Courtney Cox
Chandler Bing and Monica Geller set the bar of a loving relationship for the world to achieve. Sharing a clip from the initial moments of the start of their love story, she shared an insight which reflects on the course that their characters take in the show. She recalls, “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.”
3. Jennifer Aniston
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Exhibiting her anguish, Jennifer wrote, “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.” She goes on to lay out the bitter-sweet rollercoaster of emotions that rush through in the process of sitting and grieving the loss of someone they all loved so deeply, “In the last couple weeks, I’ve been poring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again.” She also shares a message exchange between her and the late co-star, while ending the post by adding, “Rest little brother. You always made my day…”
4. David Schwimmer
Reflecting on the talents of his dear friend, David writes, “I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes.” Also, sharing what he calls one of his “favorite moments” with the late star in the show, he expresses “Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time. I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around—
“Could there BE any more clouds?”
5. Lisa Kudrow
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Reminiscing on the early days of their interactions, Lisa shares, “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.” The rest of the post revolves around the immense gratitude she feels for a lot of things, which is summarized the one sentence she ends her post with, “Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
These posts are reflective of the immeasurable bond that the cast of six shared both on and off screen during and after the show wrapped up back in 2004. The innumerable tributes and the wave of mourning brought along by Matthew Perry’s untimely death stand as testament to the enduring impact Matthew Perry had on the lives of his FRIENDS family and the hearts of fans worldwide.
