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Celebrities and “Friends” Cast React to Matthew Perry’s Death
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The showbiz world was shocked to hear of Matthew Perry’s death on 28 October. The actor, who played Chandler Bing in 10 seasons of “Friends”, passed away in his Los Angeles home, at the age of 54. Fans instantly took to social media to share some of their best memories of the star, including iconic “Friends” scenes involving Perry’s impeccable comedic timing.
In addition to his acting career, clips of Perry talking of his battles with alcohol and drug addiction have resurfaced. In a poignant clip, taken from Perry appearing on the “Q With Tom Power” podcast in 2022 to promote his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing”, he spoke of how he’d like to be remembered.
“When I die, I know people will talk about “Friends”, “Friends”, “Friends”. And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web,” he said. “But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
Celebrities have also been sharing their grief and sadness at the news, as well as memories of the actor. While his fellow core “Friends” costars are yet to publicly comment on the devastating impact his loss will undoubtedly have on them, Maggie Wheeler who played Janice and Morgan Fairchild who played Chandler’s mum in the show, have both expressed their shock. Selma Blair, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Adele are just some of the other celebrities who have spoke of the loss.
Ahead, see how stars are paying their respects to Matthew Perry.
Getty Images for Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood / Matt Winkelmeyer
Maggie Wheeler
Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s on-off girlfriend Janice in the TV sitcom, took to Instagram to express her sadness. Alongside a photo of the pair in “Friends”, she wrote: “What a loss.The world will miss you Matthew 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.”
FilmMagic / Steve Granitz
Gwyneth Paltrow
The “Goop” founder posted a tribute to Perry on Instagram detailing a time before they were famous when they spent a summer together. “I met Matthew Perry in 1993 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. We were both there for most of the summer doing plays. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass. It was a magical summer,” she wrote. “He had shot the pilot of Friends but it had not aired yet. He was nervous, hoping his big break was just around the corner. It was. We stayed friends for a while until we drifted apart, but I was always happy to see him when I did. I am super sad today, as so many of us are. I hope Matthew is at peace at long last. I really do.”
Getty Images / Kevork Djansezian
Adele
Adele paused her concert in Las Vegas to pay tribute to the “Friends” star. “It is always so shocking, especially someone that made you laugh and who bought so much joy to your life that you don’t know. This is what I find so strange, I never met him in my life. There is something, you feel so sad about it especially because you don’t necessarily known what was going on,’ she told the crowd, via a TikTok video/a> taken from the show. She told of how her good friend at school would always do impressions of Chandler to make them laugh. “I’ll remember that character for the rest of my life,” she added.
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Hannah Waddingham
The “Ted Lasso” star took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her condolences. “I can’t stop looking at photos of this beautiful man. I’m so,so sad that such a cruel,unyielding disease always tried to define him. It will never define him for me. His untouchable gift for comedy,his total honesty on & off screen & his beautiful,handsome face will,” Waddingham wrote.
WireImage / Mike Marsland
Blake Harrison
“The Inbetweeners” actor spoke of how Perry influenced him growing up. “Matthew Perry was a huge inspiration to me growing up. Me & my mates would come into school having memorised his sarcastic one-liners, speech pattern & even Chandler’s dance. Friends was one of the rare shows my family would watch together with equal enjoyment & Chandler was our favourite,” he wrote on Instagram. “He brought me so much joy & without knowing it he encouraged me to pursue acting. Thank You”.
Getty Images / Tibrina Hobson
Morgan Fairchild
Having played Chandler’s mum, Nora, on “Friends”, Morgan Fairchild posted a photo from the series when she walked him down the aisle to marry Monica. “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. And such a sweet, caring man, too! I’m sending love and condolences to his friends and family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Falcon Crest & Flamingo Rd. Lovely family and such a heavy loss!” she posted on Instagram.