Why 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' cast mourned Matthew Perry long before his death
What's the story
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Jennifer Aniston opened up about her long-standing grief for her F.R.I.E.N.D.S co-star Matthew Perry. She revealed that his struggle with addiction had left her and the rest of the cast, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, feeling weary. "We did everything we could when we could," she said. "But it almost felt like we'd been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one."
Emotional tribute
'I'm glad he's out of that pain'
Aniston further added, "As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there's a part of me that thinks this is better. I'm glad he's out of that pain." Perry passed away in October 2023 at 54 due to the acute effects of ketamine. In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he thanked Aniston for her unwavering support during his battle with addiction.
Fond memories
Aniston shared this tribute after Perry's death
After Perry's death, Aniston shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. She wrote, "Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I've never experienced before." She also shared a screenshot of a text from Perry that said, "Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day:)" and added, "Awww the first of THOUSANDS of times."
Fond memories
'I miss him dearly. We all do'
In her tribute, Aniston wrote, "In the last couple weeks, I've been poring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. I'll keep them forever and ever." She added, "Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain." "I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy he made us laugh really hard."