Heartbroken Friends fans have flooded the internet with tributes to the enduring bond between Matthew Perry and co-star Jennifer Aniston following his premature death this weekend.
Fans have shared countless memes, clips and memories of the duo’s best moments as Chandler Bing and Rachel Green, along with candid clips of their infectious friendship behind the scenes.
Perry will forever be associated with his role in the iconic sitcom, along with his five co-stars Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
But perhaps it was Aniston who was his best friend, as he recently revealed that she was the cast member who “reached out the most” during his battle with substance abuse, and that they remained in close contact until his death.
Perry was found dead in a jacuzzi at his home on Saturday at the age of 54, following a rocky relationship with drugs and alcohol that he outlined in his memoir published last year.
Heartbroken Friends fans have flooded the internet with tributes to Matthew Perry’s close bond with co-star Jennifer Aniston following his untimely death last weekend
Perry recently revealed that Aniston was the Friends cast member who “reached out the most” during his addiction struggles, and that they remained in close contact until his death
Perry will forever be associated with his role in the iconic sitcom, along with his five co-stars Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow
Friends fans around the world have been devastated by the news of Perry’s death – and many have paid tribute to his tangible bond with co-star Aniston
His enduring bond with Aniston, 54, is being recognized by fans around the world, as people flock to post videos of the duo online, including a touching recent clip of Perry speaking fondly of the actress.
“She came in and I said, ‘Hey, good to see you,’ and I went into my dressing room and said — sigh — I’ll never be able to be with her,” the Williamstown , a Massachusetts resident told an interviewer.
Another clip shows a much younger Perry resting his arm on Aniston’s shoulder before reaching up to kiss his wrist.
“Matthew Perry loved Jennifer Aniston so much, they were literally soulmates,” said one devastated fan as they shared the footage, which has been viewed more than two million times.
‘It really breaks my heart that he is truly gone, may he rest. I send my prayers and thoughts to his family and friends.”
Another heartbreaking interview has also surfaced in which Aniston cried about the prospect of losing Perry to his addiction.
When asked by an ABC interviewer what Perry “doesn’t know,” a visibly distraught Aniston said, “That he’s okay.”
‘We weren’t equipped to deal with it. No one had ever had to deal with that, and the thought of losing him…’ she trailed off in tears.
One clip shows a much younger Perry resting his arm on Aniston’s shoulder before reaching up to kiss his wrist
Perry revealed that it was Aniston who first confronted him about his addictions during the filming of their hit sitcom, when his symptoms were too obvious to ignore for those close to him.
“We know you drink,” she told him during a break during the filming of Friends at the height of its popularity.
“Imagine how scary that was,” the actor said of his co-star during an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer in October 2022.
“I should have been the toast of the town, but I was in a dark room with only drug dealers and I was all alone.”
“She was the one who contacted us the most,” he added. “You know, I’m very grateful to her for that.”
Fans have also remembered the bond the two stars shared in happier times, including photos of them giggling together on set in the 1990s.
Several pointed out that Chandler and Rachel’s storylines were less common than pairings of other characters – but the understanding of their off-screen friendship made these episodes “particularly poignant.”
Their storylines include The One With All The Cheesecakes, which first aired in January 2001 and follows how the pair become addicted to a cheesecake meant for their neighbor, which is accidentally delivered to Chandler.
Real Life Friends: Matthew Perry praised Jennifer Aniston for being a constant and reliable friend through all of his ups and downs in life, including his struggles with drugs and alcohol; they can be seen during Friends: The Reunion in May 2021
Lifeline: The actor revealed that part of his inspiration for writing his 2022 memoir – Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing – was the hope that his stories could serve as a kind of lifeline for others, as Aniston did for was him.
Friends for life: Perry would share his gratitude for all the efforts of his Friends castmates to support him as he struggled with drugs and alcohol: All six Friends stars will appear on the reunion show in May 2021
The comedy story sees the pair conspiring to steal more cheesecakes from their neighbor after trying the first one and becoming addicted – before the pie-stealing chaos escalates after they split one and Rachel drops her half.
It ends with Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, seeing the pair eating the fallen cheesecake off the ground, and he grabs a fork from his pocket without questioning the situation and joins in.
Dozens of people on I loved their friendship.”
Others remembered the iconic scene in which Chandler and Rachel Ross helped Geller, played by David Schwimmer, move a couch up the stairs to his New York apartment.
In the episode called The One With The Cop, the trio struggle to maneuver the large two-seater up the multi-level stairwell as Ross shouts, “Pivot!!”
Fans shared outtakes from the scene where all three struggled to stay in character and eventually burst into fits of laughter.
With the world still reeling from Perry’s death, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has said his cause of death has been “deferred” while the investigation is considered “ongoing” by authorities.