“Friends” stars mourn Matthew Perry's death: 'We were more than just cast mates. We are a family'
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer are expressing their collective grief over the death of their Friends costar Matthew Perry.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," the core cast members of the beloved sitcom said in a joint statement obtained by PEOPLE on Monday, two days after Perry's unexpected death at 54. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
The Friends stars added that they will have more to share in the days ahead: "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."
Perry was found dead at his home in the Pacific Palisades of Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. Authorities have not determined a cause of death, though foul play is not suspected.
Reisig and Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, and Matt LeBlanc on 'Friends'
A five-time Emmy nominee, Perry was best known for his role as the sarcastic but sweet Chandler Bing on Friends, which became a top-rated show and a cultural phenomenon during its 10-season run from 1994 to 2004.
Nearly two decades after the series finale, the show remains popular on streaming services like Netflix and Max, and Perry joined his former castmates to celebrate the series' legacy for the 2021 special Friends: The Reunion.
Although the reunion featured many celebrity cameos and comedy bits, EW critic Kristen Baldwin praised the "flashes of reunion magic" that featured "the real-life pals hanging out, reminiscing about their run as the most famous TV friends on the planet."
Just last year, Perry published a memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. While promoting the book, Perry revealed how working on the show helped him through his battles with substance abuse.
"It did help me with drugs and alcohol, that job, because I said to myself on this amazing show, 'You can't have the 17th drink when you have to be at work the next morning with these wonderful people doing the job,'" Perry said on The View.
In addition to the main cast, Perry has been remembered by Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane ("All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives") and supporting actors like Elliott Gould ("Matthew was kind, thoughtful, smart, funny, and just a terrifically talented actor") and Aisha Tyler ("I learned how to tell a joke perfectly just by watching him work").
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