Bradley Whitford Remembers Matthew Perry’s ‘Heroic’ Battle With Addiction, ‘Huge, Open Heart’

Bradley Whitford paid tribute to his longtime friend and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” co-star Matthew Perry, who was found dead Saturday at his Los Angeles home. He was 54.

“Matthew Perry made me laugh. Hard,” Whitford wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post alongside a video of the pair participating in an interview for the Aaron Sorkin-created comedy drama, which ran from 2006 to 2007. “You have not lived until you have witnessed one of his in-between-the-takes confidential riffs on the absurdity of show business and the idiocy of male confidence, wrapped up perfectly with the sudden realization that we were both grown men who wear makeup for a living.”

Whitford continued by applauding Perry’s “huge, open heart and a pyrotechnical, joyous brain” without substances, and noted that “most beautiful parts of Matt made him the most vulnerable to the monster that he would have to fight for the rest of his life.”

“His battle was heroic,” Whitford continued. “They don’t have award shows for that. They should.”

Whitford added that his friend was “full of contradictions,” noting that he was both “hilariously self deprecating and insecure” while also being “wildly self confident.”

“He was a fountain of light with a huge capacity for darkness,” he continued. “He was profoundly blessed and terribly cursed.”

Whitford then shared his wish for Perry’s parents to know that their son was kind to everyone, not just his co-stars.

“To honor Matt, I hope we can continue the work that mattered most to him: to open our hearts to so many who share his vulnerabilities, to encourage them to get the help they need, and to give them the love and the support they deserve,” Whitford concluded. “I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Matt, to spend some precious time with him, and most of all, to be his friend.”

Whitford’s message of grief and love following Perry’s passing comes shortly after “Friends” guest star John Stamos paid tribute to Perry in a social media post recalling a fond memory when Stamos made his appearance as a sperm donor for Chandler and Monica.

Prior to making his entrance on the show, Perry told Stamos that the audience would go crazy when they saw him. Instead, Stamos’ arrival was met with silence, prompting an embarrassed Stamos to think about quitting acting.

“Matt walks over to the studio audience: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn’t recognize him at first because he’s so much better looking in person!'” Stamos wrote. “I never forgot that and the world will never forget you.”

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