'Friends' stars mourn Matthew Perry's death: 'He was a true gift to us all'

Friends stars took to social media to express their grief over the death of Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the hit NBC show.

Citing law enforcement sources, US media reported on Sunday, Oct. 29 that the actor was found dead in a jacuzzi in his home. Entertainment outlet TMZ, in its report, noted that there was no foul play involved and that no drugs were found at the scene. He was 54 years old.

On its official social media pages, the decade-long television comedy sitcom mourned Perry's death and called him a "true gift" to everyone who became part of the show. 

"We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans," the caption read. 

Morgan Fairchild, who played Chandler's mom on the said sitcom wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son,” Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest. #RIPMatthew."

Michael Rapaport, who played Gary the Policeman in the series, shared an article about Perry on his Instagram stories.

Thomas Lennon, who was Randall—Joey's hand twin on the show—posted a photo with Perry with a caption that read, "Goodnight, friend."

American actor and musician John Stamos uploaded a snap from their scene in a Season 9 episode of Friends and wrote: "RIP PAL."

American actress and talk show host Aisha Tyler, who had a recurring role on Friends as Charlie Wheeler, said on Instagram that she learned to crack a joke by watching how Perry did it. She also described the actor as someone with "a gentleness and generosity of spirit that was unparalleled."

Selma Blair, who played Wendy in the sitcom, called Perry her "oldest boy friend" that everyone loved. "My oldest boy friend. All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams," she wrote in an IG post.

Paget Brewster, who played Kathy in the fourth season of Friends, also took the time to remember the actor on social media. "I’m so very sad to hear about @MatthewPerry. He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there," she tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).

Maggie Wheeler, who portrayed the role of Janice—Chandler’s on-and-off girlfriend—on the show, shared a sweet photo of them. "What a loss," she began. "The world will miss you, Mathew 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," she added.

Friends ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004.

The cast, who kept a tight bond even after the show, reunited in a special on HBO Max in 2021. Perry became emotional as he talked about the special bond he had with his former co-stars.

"The best way that I can describe it is after the show was over, at a party or any kind of social gathering, if one of us bumped into each other, that was it," he shared. "That was the end of the night. You just sat with the person all night long and that was it."

"You apologized to the people you were with, but they had to understand you had met somebody special to you and you were going to talk to that person for the rest of the night. And that's the way it worked," he added. "It's certainly the way it worked with all of us. It's just the way it is."

Apart from Friends, Perry also appeared in films like Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards.