Lisa Kudrow has broken her silence on the death of her friend and colleague Matthew Perry.
Two weeks after Perry’s death at age 54, his Friends via Instagram, the star reflected on the very beginning of the ten-year run of the series in 1994.
“Shot down the pilot, Friends like us, we were immediately picked up, we were at the NBC Upfronts,” began Kudrow, 60. “Then… You suggested we play poker And you made it so fun when we were initially getting close. Thank you for that.
She continued: “Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, my muscles hurt and tears streamed down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for your open heart in a six-way relationship that required compromises. And lots of ‘talking’ ‘”
Touching on Perry’s battle with addiction, she noted, “Thank you for showing up to work when you weren’t well and being absolutely brilliant. Thank you for the best 10 years a man could have. Thank you for believing in me.”
She concluded, “Thank you for all I have learned about GRACE and LOVE from knowing you. Thank you for the time I had with you, Matthew.”
Remembering the life and career of Matthew Perry in photographs
Kudrow and Perry have long been considered standout talents from the hit ’90s sitcom, often joking together about their own ridiculousness.
In a silly segment on Piers Morgan tonight In 2013, Perry was a guest on the news show and brought Kudrow on as a special guest. During their conversation, he called her the second funniest Friends cast member behind him, of course — a title Kudrow was honored to receive.
While introducing his former co-star, Perry called her “beautiful,” “intelligent” and “funny” before adding that Kudrow is “one of my favorite people in the whole world.”
During the segment, the two talked about their time on the sitcom and even reflected on their one and only on-screen kiss — which took place during season five as Phoebe (Kudrow) and Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) storyline together takes shape to unravel that Chandler (Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) are dating.
“I guess now we can ask who was the best kisser? And don’t say me because I’m sitting here — but don’t say no me because I’m sitting here,” Perry implored Kudrow. “Say it’s me.”
She replied, “It’s you!” and Perry thanked her for the confirmation.
The cast of ‘Friends’ is promoting season 10 – Courteney Cox (Monica), Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matthew Perry (Chandler), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel) and David Schwimmer (Ross).
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Matthew Perry reflected on the ‘Special’, unbreakable bond with Friends Costars for years after the series
The two also reflected on the end of the series in 2004, with both admitting that they would return and continue if given the chance.
Perry said: “I kind of remember how much fun the show was and the hours we worked and how much – you know, you can see, how much we laughed and everything. And I found myself saying, if I could – if I had a time machine, I’d love to go back to 2004 and not stop.”
He then asked if Kudrow theoretically had access to a time machine, would she go back to 2004 and make a different decision – to which she agreed.
“Yeah, if it was up to us, like, individually — then yeah,” she said. “I would continue.”
Perry also took the opportunity to praise his former costar. “I find you to be, quite frankly, one of the most intelligent actors I’ve ever worked with,” he told Kudrow.
Biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir, ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Bad Thing’
Another significant moment in Kudrow and Perry’s decades-long friendship came with the publication of his 2022 memoir. Friends, lovers and the big scary thingfor which Kudrow wrote the foreword.
In it, she praised him as “smart…charming, sweet, sensitive, very sensible and rational” as she reflected on the difficulties she faced as he battled addiction.
“Really, I wasn’t really sure how Matthew was doing,” she said of her limited knowledge of his struggles, which he kept as a “secret,” even from her.
“During those years, I didn’t really try to intervene or confront him, because what little I knew about addiction was that his sobriety was out of my hands. And yet, I would have periods of questioning whether I made a mistake not doing more, doing something,” she admitted, sharing that she “focused on Matthew” instead of his addiction.
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Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc on the set of HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion’ 2021. Terence Patrick/HBO Max Christina Ricci, Aisha Tyler and more Friends Guest Stars Remember Matthew Perry
Perry “could make me laugh so hard every day, and once a week, laugh so hard I cried and couldn’t breathe,” she continued.
The memoir, she wrote, was “the first time I heard what it was really like to live with addiction and survive it. Matthew told me some things, but not in this detail.”
She concluded the preface: “He survived impossible situations, but I had no idea how many times he almost failed.” Glad you’re here, Matty. Good for you. I love you.”
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While talking to PEOPLE about his memoir, the actor gave a special shout out to his Friends co-stars, who he said were “understanding” and “patient” with him as he managed his addiction.
“It’s like penguins. In nature, when one is sick or badly injured, other penguins surround it, support it and walk around until that penguin can walk on its own,” he said. “And that’s something the cast did for me.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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Source: HIS Education