Since the unexpected death of Matthew Perry on October 28, his fellow Friends stars have remained largely silent, with the exception of a joint statement made requesting time to process their grief before speaking further. Lisa Kudrow, however, has now spoken out on the loss of her long-time friend and costar.

The Friends star took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute to the late Matthew Perry. “Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts,” Kudrow wrote. “Then…
You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that.”

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“Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY,” she continued.” 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 Perry Foundation Launched in Honor of Late ‘Friends’ Star

As the Friends stars themselves put it, they’re more than costars, they’re family. As such, Matthew Perry held a great deal of fondness for his role as Chandler and his time on Friends. In a 2022 interview, however, he confessed that he wished for his legacy to be more than his witty sitcom role.

“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 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.”

Prior to his death, Matthew Perry planned to launch a foundation to help others struggling with addiction find the help they need. Though he was unable to bring it to fruition in life, those closest to him launched it in his name after his death.

Aptly named The Matthew Perry Foundation, the organization provides assistance to those struggling with substance abuse. Its mission? “The realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.”