Matt LeBlanc and Courteney Cox both wrote moving tributes to their late friend and co-star Matthew Perry, with LeBlanc calling the time they spent together “among the favorite times of my life.”
LeBlanc and Perry, of course, played best friends and roommates Joey and Chandler on Friends for a decade. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, LeBlanc shared some screenshots of the duo on the show, along with a sweet cast photo and a written tribute.
“Matthew,” the post begins, “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.”
He concludes, “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Cox, meanwhile, played Monica Geller, who would eventually marry Perry's Chandler. In her own Instagram post, Cox shared a sweet outtake of the moment where Monica was first seen in bed with Chandler, which was initially revealed during the 2021 Friends reunion special.
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote. “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.”
“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London,” she added. “But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”
Remembering a Friend
Perry died unexpectedly on Oct. 28 at the age of 54, and the cast of Friends issued a joint statement remembering him a couple of days later.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” read the Oct. 30 statement from LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer. “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."
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
There’s been an outpouring of grief since Perry’s death, with fans not only remembering his work on Friends from 1994 to 2004, but also his advocacy. Perry, who was open about his battle with addiction, was passionate about helping others who shared that struggle, even opening a sober-living house and vocally supporting the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Following his death, the Matthew Perry Foundation was launched in his name, and is now accepting donations to benefit those struggling with addiction.
This story was updated on Nov. 14 to include Courteney Cox's statement.
Thumbnail credit: NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
