Matthew Perry's tragic death is being mourned by millions of people across the world.
The 54-year-old actor was known for his beloved portrayal of Chandler Bing in the iconic sitcom, Friends.
He is being most celebrated however for the work he has done for substance abuse awareness over the years following his own experiences, and the countless times that he has helped people suffering from addiction to seek help.
Perry's bestselling 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, recounted his experiences. And since the tragic news of his death, segments of the book have resurfaced.
Among them are his beautiful words about the Friends cast, with quotes of Matthew Perry thanking each of his cast members going viral.
"Schwimmer, for making us stick together when he could have gone it alone and profited more than all the rest," Perry said of David Schwimmer, thanking his former cast mate for "deciding we should be a team and getting us a million bucks a week."
"Lisa Kudrow -- no woman has ever made me laugh that much," he continued about the actress, who wrote the forward for his memoir. "Jenny for letting me look at that face an extra two seconds every single day. Courteney Cox, for making America think that someone so beautiful would marry a guy like me. And Matt LeBlanc, who took the only sort of stock character and turned him into the funniest character on the show."
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer announced in a statement after news broke of Matthew Perry's passing.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright, the co-creators and executive producers of the show also paid tribute.
"It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives," read their statement. "He was a brilliant talent. It's a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew's case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us... We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken."
Our thoughts are with Matthew Perry's loved ones.
