On October 28, Friends star Matthew Perry died at the age of 54 at his Los Angeles area home. Though law enforcement doesn’t suspect foul play, the actor’s official cause of death remains unknown pending an investigation. Perry’s fellow Friends stars have remained largely silent in the wake of his death, releasing only a joint statement expressing their heartbreak at the loss. Now, however, David Schwimmer has broken his silence on the sudden death of his costar and friend Matthew Perry.

The Friends icon took to Instagram to pen a heartbreaking tribute to his late friend. “Matty,” David Schwimmer wrote beneath a hilarious throwback of himself and Matthew Perry from the Friends set. “Thank you for ten incredible 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.”

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A post shared by David Schwimmer (@_schwim_)

“And you had heart,” Schwimmer continued. “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.”

“I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around—

‘Could there BE any more clouds?’”

‘Friends’ Stars Pay Tribute to Matthew Perry in Joint Statement

Ahead of their individual tributes, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Courteney Cox shared a joint statement expressing their grief at the unexpected loss of Matthew Perry.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates, we are a family,” the statement read. “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.”

Though Matthew Perry enjoyed his acting career and his time as Chandler on Friends, he confessed in a 2022 interview that he hoped to be remembered for more than his sarcastic wit. “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned,” Perry said in an interview on the Q With Tom Power podcast. “I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that. Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down.”

To make this dream a reality, those closest to the Friends star launched a foundation in his name. The Matthew Perry Foundation will help others suffering with addiction and ease their road to recovery, as Perry always hoped to do.