David Schwimmer has paid a moving tribute to his late Friends co-star Matthew Perry following the actor’s death at the age of 54.
Schwimmer, 57, shared a photo of one of his “favorite moments” with Perry as he praised his comedic skills and friendly nature.
“Matty, thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity,” Schwimmer began in the Instagram post. “I will never forget your impeccable comedic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and twist it to your will, resulting in something so original and unexpectedly funny that it still surprises you.
“And you had heart. Which you were generous with and shared with us so that we could build a family from six strangers. This photo is of one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me laugh and sad at the same time.
“I imagine you’re out there somewhere, in the same white suit, with your hands in your pockets, looking around – ‘Could there be more clouds?’
‘You had heart’: David Schwimmer has paid a touching tribute to his late Friends co-star Matthew Perry following the actor’s death at 54
Last month, the five Friends stars released a joint official statement regarding the actor’s tragic death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” said Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Schwimmer People. “There is so much to say, but now we are going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
The stars continued: “Over time we will say more, if and when we are able to do so,” the statement continued. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Perry was buried on November 3 during a simple one-hour service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles – in a ceremony attended by his Friends co-stars.
An onlooker told DailyMail.com: ‘Mrs Aniston was one of the first to arrive. She kept herself to herself. This is a high-profile meeting.’
His tearful mother Suzanne Morrison, 84, and Dateline journalist stepfather Keith, 76, were both at the private event, as was his father John Perry, 82. Keith Morrison was one of the pallbearers.
The cemetery is located opposite Warner Bros Studios, where Friends was filmed for ten seasons, and is the final resting place of a galaxy of Hollywood stars including Carrie Fisher, Bette Davis, Stan Laurel, Buster Keaton, INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, Paul Walker , Brittany Murphy and Anne Heche.
Perry died of an accidental ‘drowning’ in his jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. Police found prescription pills in the home, but no illegal drugs, sources said.
‘Impeccable comedic timing and execution’: Schwimmer praised Matthew’s acting ability
Co-stars: Schwimmer and Perry starred on the hit comedy series from 1994 to 2004
Last month, the five Friends stars released a joint official statement regarding the actor’s tragic death
Perry had reportedly played a two-hour game of Pickleball – a sport similar to tennis but played on a smaller court – earlier in the day before sending his assistant out on an errand. When they returned, Perry was found lifeless in his hot tub.
His body was recovered from his home by the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office hours after his death.
Perry rose to fame for his role as “Chandler Bing” on the hit ’90s sitcom Friends, which ran for ten seasons.
He had recently posted a photo of him and his father John Bennett Perry, who joined him in a Friends episode in 1998.
He was born in Massachusetts and raised in Canada by his mother Suzanne Marie after his parents divorced when he was one year old.
Perry was a perfect fit for the role of Chandler, beloved for his sarcastic one-liners, and many of his mannerisms came from the actor’s own behavior.
He said in his memoir, “It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stolen my jokes, copied my mannerisms, photocopied my world-weary but witty outlook on life. One character in particular stood out to me: it wasn’t that I thought I could ‘play’ Chandler. I ‘was’ Chandler.’
Perry later revealed that when he was first cast in the sitcom at the age of 24, that’s when his alcohol addiction really came to light.
He said years later that by the end of the tenth series of the hit show he was ‘in a lot of trouble’.
Perry and Schwimmer pictured together in 1997
Perry pictured with his Friends co-stars at their 2021 reunion
In 2016, he admitted that he couldn’t remember three seasons of filming because he was “kind of out of it at the time.”
At one point during his time on Friends, Perry said he was taking 55 Vicodin painkillers a day and weighed just 130 pounds, yet “he didn’t know how to stop.”
Following his sudden death, many took to social media and paid tribute to the late actor, especially for his role as Chandler in Friends. His co-stars Jennifer, Matt and Courteney all took to Instagram to remember their late co-star.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, went to school with Perry when he lived in the country and wrote a moving message about him.
“Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I will never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world will never forget the joy he brought to them.
“Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed,” Trudeau said.
Warner Bros., producer of Friends, said in a statement: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Matthew Perry. He was a true gift to all of us. Our hearts go out to his family, loved ones and all his fans.”
After moving to LA, Perry starred as Chazz Russell in Boys Will Be Boys and also had roles on shows including sitcom Growing Pains before becoming a global superstar as Chandler.
Perry rose to fame for his role as ‘Chandler Bing’ on the hit ’90s sitcom Friends, which ran for ten seasons
“This was the only guy who played him,” Friends creator Marta Kauffman said in the 2021 reunion special.
The star exposed the culmination of his terrible battle with drug and alcohol addiction, which nearly cost him his life, in a memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
Perry also revealed that his colon ruptured as a result of his opioid addiction when he was 49.
The doctors gave him only a two percent chance of survival and he was in a coma for two weeks, followed by another month in the hospital.
Perry required 14 surgeries to repair all the abdominal damage, and he admitted to going to rehab 15 times over the years in hopes of kicking his drug addiction.
Perry has also appeared in several films, including 17 Again starring Zac Efron, Fools Rush In starring Salma Hayek and Getting In starring comedian Dave Chapelle.
He starred in The Whole Nine Yards and The Kid with Bruce Willis, guest starring in the sixth series of Friends.
Perry never married and ended his engagement to Molly Hurwitz, a literary manager, in 2021.
He dated several famous actresses, including Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan.