Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Reacts to Former Classmate Matthew Perry’s ‘Shocking’ Death

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is paying tribute to Matthew Perry, who died Saturday at 54 after an apparent drowning.

Trudeau honored the Friends actor on X (formerly Twitter), calling his death "shocking and saddening."

"I'll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them," Trudeau tweeted. "Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved — and you will be missed."

Perry (whose mother, Suzanne Morrison, was press secretary to Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau), went to elementary school with Justin. Perry recalled during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March 2017 that he and a friend "beat up" the future Prime Minister when the actor was in fifth grade.

“We both beat him up. I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren’t, so it was pure jealousy," Perry explained then, adding, "I think he was the only kid in school that we could beat up. ... I’m not bragging about this. This is terrible. I was a stupid kid. I didn’t want to beat him up.”

He went on to joke, "I think I was rather instrumental in him going to such great heights in becoming the Prime Minister. I think he said, 'I'm going to rise above this and become Prime Minister.'"

Trudeau, to his credit, expressed a sense of humor about the childhood experience following Perry's appearance, tweeting nearly two weeks later: "I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler? How about a rematch @MatthewPerry?"

Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, was found dead at a Los Angeles-area home on Saturday, TMZ reported, citing law enforcement sources.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at Perry's address regarding the death of a male in his 50s, but would not confirm the deceased's identity.

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TMZ was also told that there was no foul play involved, and their sources said first-responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest.

Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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