Courteney Cox said she was “so grateful for every moment” with late actor Matthew Perry as she shared a favourite clip from their time together on Friends. Cox played Monica Geller in the hit US sitcom starring opposite Perry in his role as witty Chandler Bing.
The characters first becoming romantically involved during a trip to London. In her first solo statement since the death of Perry on October 28, Cox shared a video of the pair filming the London scene in which the studio audience’s unmistakable reaction could be heard.
She said: “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favourites. To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story.
“In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”
Cox added: “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day.”
It comes after fellow Friends co-star Matt LeBlanc, who played Perry’s on-screen best friend Joey Tribbiani, also paid tribute. LeBlanc shared a selection of pictures, which showed the pair in their roles, writing: “Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye.
“The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life. It was an honour 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. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
LeBlanc and Cox gathered alongside castmates David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston for Perry’s funeral service at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park on November 3, according to US reports. In a joint statement to US publication People, Perry’s fellow co-stars said they were “utterly devastated” and described their relationship as “more than just cast mates. We are a family”.
Other more minor cast members paid tribute following Perry’s death. Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s on-and-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein, said in an Instagram statement that she felt “blessed” to have spent creative moments with Perry.
Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria, who played Phoebe’s love interest David in several episodes of the show, said in a video posted to his social media that his “genius” friend Perry had helped to get him sober. In 2022, Perry had released his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing where he spoke candidly on dealing with an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Following his death, the Matthew Perry Foundation was set up in the star’s memory, promising to continue his commitment to “helping others struggling with the disease of addiction”.
Los Angeles police had responded to a radio call just after 4pm on October 28 for a death investigation of a male in his 50s, the PA news agency understands. A statement from Captain Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department to PA said they found a “male unconscious in a stand-alone Jacuzzi”.
