Matthew Perry made sure his friends knew that when he took action around them, it was all from his heart and soul. Here’s a case in point. Perry had become close friends with actor Michael J. Fox. When Fox announced that he was going to establish a charitable foundation for Parkinson’s disease, Perry was front and center to get on board.

“I hope this isn’t indiscreet… but when they first made their big sale [on their Friends contracts] and were made millionaires for the rest of their lives, he wrote a big fat check to the foundation,” Fox told Entertainment Tonight in an interview. “We were really early on and trying to find our feet. And it was such a vote of confidence.”

“And it wasn’t accompanied by any self-aggrandizing or anything, he was just like, ‘Take it and do your best,’” Fox said. “I loved that.”

Fox reflects on his long-standing friendship with Matthew Perry, who was found dead in his hot tub on Oct. 28. He was 54 years old.

“Matthew and I had spent some time together over the years,” Fox shared. “He was a hockey player, a good hockey player, and we played hockey together.” Back in 2022, Matthew Perry looked back on his life. He said that, as a young actor, he looked to Fox and Fox’s own career as a solid source of inspiration.

Michael J. Fox Says Matthew Perry Was ‘Just A Funny Guy’

In response, Fox says, “He was just a funny guy, and if I was ever as funny as him — I mean, he was the funniest — I’m happy I had an impact on him. He was a funny guy.”

Perry elaborated on this matter back in November 2022. At the time, he was out promoting his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Tom Power of Toronto conducted the interview.

“I was young, I had done a couple of plays in school, and Michael J. Fox was it, man. When I was in ninth grade, Michael J. Fox had just done Back to the Future, and there was smoke coming out of my ears, I was so jealous of this guy,” Perry said. “And he had, at the time, the No. 1 TV show and the No. 1 movie at the same time! So he was huge. And I don’t know anybody else who’s done that — except me.”

Perry was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. It’s not too far from Warner Bros. Studios where he filmed Friends. The funeral was held on Friday, Nov. 3. Family and friends attended the service, including his former cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.

For his part, Fox also has had success on television in his career. He’s starred in two very successful sitcoms, Family Ties and Spin City. Besides their love of hockey, Fox and Perry had their own distinct TV journeys.