David Schwimmer who played Ross Geller and Jennifer Aniston who played Rachel Green on NBC’s popular sitcom Friends, alongside the late Matthew Perry, have joined Matt LeBlanc and Courteney Cox by sharing a sweet tribute.
The actors’ words come more than two weeks after Matthew’s passing at his Los Angeles residence due to apparent drowning.
Taking to her Instagram on Wednesday (November 15), Jennifer wrote: “Oh boy this one has cut deep...
“Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before.
“We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love.
“Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep.
Jennifer Anniston paid tribute to Matthew Perry in a long and heartfelt Instagram post in which she called the actor his "chosen family"
“And we loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us.
“This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be.
“For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh.
“As he said himself, if he didn't hear the ‘laugh’ he thought he was going to die.
“His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that.
“He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another.
“Laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever. I found one text that he sent me out of nowhere one day. It says it all. "
Jennifer, who worked with the Friends cast for 10 years on the iconic show, went on to reference one of Chandler’s many punchlines, famously delivered by Matthew for 10 seasons.
“Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying “could you BE any crazier?”
Image credits: Getty Images
The We’re The Millers actress accompanied her post with a screenshot from a conversation she had with Matthew in which the actor sent her a throwback photo of them on set where they’re seen giggling, writing to her, "Making you laugh just made my day."
Jennifer and Matthew shared a close bond that traced back to their time working together on the set of the popular ‘90s sitcom.
In fact, it was the actress who first confronted Perry about his addiction problem, as he explained in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
"Matty, I love you so much and I know that you are now completely at peace and out of any pain," the actress wrote
Image credits: Getty Images
"She was the one that reached out the most. You know, I'm really grateful to her for that," Perry said of Anniston in an October 2022 interview with Diane Sawyer.
The late actor also referred to Jennifer as “wonderful” and “terrific,” and once admitted that he would’ve liked to see her more often.
"We don't see each other as much," he shared. "I wish the group would see each other more times, but she's the greatest."
David Schwimmer also said goodbye to Matthew on social media, thanking his on-screen brother-in-law for "ten years of laughter and creativity"
“I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery.
“You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes.
Image credits: Getty Images
The actor continued: “And you had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.
“This photo is from one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time.”
David also paid homage to Chandler’s funny lines as he concluded his post by writing: “I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around-
“Could there BE any more clouds?”
David wrote that Matthew's generosity helped create "a family out of six strangers"
Image credits: Getty Images
Hours after Jennifer and David's testimonial, Lisa Kudrow, who played quirky Phoebe Buffay on the sitcom, joined the rest of the Friends cast to honor Matthew on Instagram.
"Thank you for making me laugh," Lisa Kudrow wrote
"You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that.
"Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY.
"Thank you for your open heart in a six-way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of 'talking.'
"Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant.
"Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have.
"Thank you for trusting me.
"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."
Matthew and Lisa were often recognized as standout talents from the hit 1990s show.
In a 2013 segment on Piers Morgan Tonight, Matthew guest hosted the program and brought Lisa on the show as a special guest.
While exchanging a conversation, the late actor quipped that Lisa was the second funniest cast member on Friends, after himself.
While welcoming his co-star, Matthew described the actress as “beautiful,” “intelligent” and “hilarious”, and proceeded to say that she was “one of his favorite people in the whole wide world.”
Lisa and Matthew went on to joke about their on-screen kiss, where the actress assured Matthew that he had been the best kisser in the cast.
Lisa Kudrow joined the rest of the Friends' cast Instagram tributes
Image credits: Getty Images
Matt LeBlanc, who famously played the joyful and naive Joey Tribbiani, said farewell to Matthew yesterday, writing: “It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I'll never forget you. Never."
Courtney Cox, who starred as his on-screen wife, Monica Geller, mourned the actor’s loss with a heartfelt message posted on Instagram: “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day.”
The actress included a sweet anecdote from the set, sharing that Matthew once “whispered a funny line” for her to say during one of their couple scenes.
The entire Friends cast was present at Matthew’s funeral on November 3. According to ET, Perry was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, not far from Warner Bros. Studios where he filmed the famous sitcom.
Matthew struggled with addiction to opioids and alcohol, which resulted in him seeking professional help in rehab on 15 occasions.
Initial toxicology test results revealed he did not have fentanyl or meth in his system at the time of his death.
While an autopsy has been completed, an official cause of death has yet to be determined.