Friends stars David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow paid their personal tributes to the late Matthew Perry on Wednesday, mourning their beloved but troubled co-star after his shock death last month.
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994 to 2004, died at the age of 54, having struggled for decades with addiction and related serious health issues.
Schwimmer, who played Ross on the show, posted a favourite photo of himself and Perry, adding: “Now, it makes me smile and grieve at the same time.”
“Thank you for 10 incredible years of laughter and creativity,” he wrote.
Perry was found unconscious in a hot tub at his house in Los Angeles in October. First responders were unable to revive him.
The cause and manner of his death is not yet known. An initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive, and the results of toxicology tests have not yet been released.
Perry spoke openly about his decades-long battles with addiction and serious health problems.
Celebrity news website TMZ reported that no illicit drugs were found at his home, although several medications, including anti-depressants and anxiety medication, were discovered.
Referring to Perry’s health issues, Kudrow wrote on Instagram: “Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant.”
Kudrow, who penned the foreword for Perry’s brutally honest 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing, concluded: “Thank you for all I learned about grace and love through knowing you.
“Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
Perry’s co-stars – Jennifer Aniston, Schwimmer, Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc – released a joint statement two days after his death, and the five reportedly later attended a private funeral in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, Courtney Cox and LeBlanc paid their own emotional tributes to Perry on Instagram while Aniston penned a touching tribute on Instagram on Wednesday accompanied with a black-and-white photo of Perry and herself. – AFP
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