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‘Friends’ Star Maggie Wheeler Mourns Matthew Perry in Touching Tribute

‘Friends’ Star Maggie Wheeler Mourns Matthew Perry in Touching Tribute

By:

Caitlin Berard

Matthew Perry, best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom Friends, passed away on Saturday, October 28. He was 54. Though initial reports attributed his death to an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles area home, the official cause remains unknown.

Since the actor’s passing, tributes have poured in from both fans and friends alike. Among them was Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Janice.

“What a loss,” Wheeler wrote on Instagram alongside an image of herself and Perry on the Friends set. “The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”

Earlier this year, Wheeler opened up about the “difficult” experience of reading Matthew Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which gave a raw and honest look into his long-time battle with addiction.

“I think he’s done a tremendous job and he’s really survived the unthinkable,” Wheeler told Page Six. “And I’m so proud of him and I’m so happy he’s here and I think it’s very brave that he’s written a book and he’s out talking about it, he’s really helping a lot of people.”

“He showed up for work even when he was in his darkest place,” she continued. “He showed up for work with all his humor and brilliance and talent. There was never a day working on set with him where I felt insecure about how he was going to participate in the process. He was 100%, even when he was struggling.”

Fellow Stars Pay Tribute to the Late Matthew Perry

Friends star Maggie Wheeler was just one of the many stars to pen tributes to the late Matthew Perry in the wake of his death. Another to mourn the unexpected loss of the actor was his on-screen mother, Morgan Fairchild. “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock,” she wrote in a Twitter post. “I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest.”

Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis, recounted fond childhood memories of Matthew Perry on the set of The Whole Nine Yards, a film in which both her father and Perry starred. “I’m so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing,” she wrote in an Instagram story.

“When I was a kid and I was on Set while he and my dad were doing whole nine and whole 10 yards he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sisters and me and I think his physical Comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much. I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy. I hope he can rest peacefully.”