Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc pen farewell messages for Matthew Perry
MANILA, Philippines — Actors Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc paid tribute to their "Friends" co-star Matthew Perry, who passed away last October 28 aged 54 years old.
LeBlanc was the first member of the main "Friends" cast to share a personal farewell message for Perry; he and Cox alongside Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow both released a joint statement upon Perry's passing.
Perry portrayed the sarcastic Chandler Bing who for years shared an apartment with best friend LeBlanc's Joey Tribbiani until the former character married Cox's Monica Geller.
LeBlanc posted on his Instagram account several scenes from "Friends" that he shared with Perry as well as a picture of the six actors in an embrace.
"Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I'll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love," LeBlanc wrote.
The actor still managed to keep his short, heart-felt message funny by ending the post's caption, noting that Perry would be "keeping the 20 bucks" he owes him.
Cox posted a similar tribute on her Instagram account, posting a video from the "Friends" Season 4 finale when the show first teased Monica and Chandler as an item, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the scene.
In the post's caption, Cox expressed her gratitude for every moment she had with Perry and that she missed the actor daily.
"When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites," Cox said of the scene she posted.
Cox explained that the scene was intended to be a one-night stand between Monica and Chandler, however, the audience's reaction prompted showrunners and writers to turn it into a romantic storyline.
"In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say," Cox added. "He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind."
Fellow actors like Selma Blair (who appeared on the ninth season of "Friends") and Laura Dern commented on LeBlanc and Cox's posts, the latter saying everyone in the cast was a tribute to each other.
"The legacy you created together is forever part of a cultural family we will always have and cherish. Thank you, Matthew, for your amazing talent and humor, and your longing to heal others," wrote Dern.
The wildly popular "Friends" followed the lives of six New Yorkers and ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home due to an apparent drowning. No drugs were found, nor was there any sign of foul play. An autopsy has been completed but the cause of death has been "deferred," pending a toxicology report.
The actor also appeared in movies such as "Fools Rush In" and "The Whole Nine Yards." He received five Emmy nominations, including two for guest appearances on "The West Wing." — with reports from Agence France-Presse
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