Gwyneth Paltrow recalls the 'magical summer' she spent with a pre-“Friends” Matthew Perry
Tributes to Matthew Perry continue to pour in from across the entertainment industry after the Friends star was reportedly found dead in a hot tub Saturday at the age of 54.
Gwyneth Paltrow added to the chorus of grief in a touching post to Instagram, recalling a magical summer romance she and Perry shared just prior to the late actor's big break.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Gwyneth Paltrow; Matthew Perry
"I met Matthew Perry in 1993 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts," Paltrow began. "We were both there for most of the summer doing plays. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with."
The Oscar-winner continued, "We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass. It was a magical summer. He had shot the pilot of Friends but it had not aired yet. He was nervous, hoping his big break was just around the corner. It was."
Perry indeed struck it big, landing the role of Chandler Bing on the immensely popular sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. He later starred in films such as Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again. Perry also garnered two Emmy nominations for guest starring as Joe Quincy on The West Wing and post-Friends, went on to star in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On, and The Odd Couple.
"We stayed friends for a while until we drifted apart, but I was always happy to see him when I did," Paltrow concluded. "I am super sad today, as so many of us are. I hope Matthew is at peace at long last. I really do."
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