David Schwimmer Shares an Iconic “Friends” Image in Tribute to Late Costar Matthew Perry: 'You Had Heart'

The still of the two costars and real-life friends "makes me smile and grieve at the same time," Schwimmer admitted

David Schwimmer is looking back on the good times he shared with his Friends costar Matthew Perry two weeks after the actor died at age 54. 

"Matty," he began the tribute on Instagram. "Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity."

He continued, "I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes."

"And you had heart," wrote Schwimmer, 56. "Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers."

Related: Matt LeBlanc Pens Heartbreaking Tribute to Matthew Perry: 'You're Finally Free'

Sharing a photo from season 5 episode, "The One with All the Thanksgivings," Schwimmer shared, "This photo is from one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time. I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around — 'Could there BE any more clouds?'"

Related: Jennifer Aniston Shares One of the Last Messages She Received from Matthew Perry: 'This One Cuts Deep'

Perry was never shy about showing his love for his Friends castmates. When the group reunited on screen for the first time since the show’s finale for HBO Max’s Friends: The Reunion special, the actor became emotional as he reflected on the enduring bond they shared.

"The best way that I can describe it is after the show was over, at a party or any kind of social gathering, if one of us bumped into each other, that was it," he said. "That was the end of the night. You just sat with the person all night long and that was it."

He continued, "You apologized to the people you were with, but they had to understand you had met somebody special to you and you were going to talk to that person for the rest of the night. And that’s the way it worked."

Related: Courteney Cox Reflects on 'Thousands of Moments' with Her 'Kind' On-Screen Love Matthew Perry

Perry shared a similar sentiment In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, as he described the cast: "It's a group that really is close and tight-knit … and loves each other."

Schwimmer and Perry maintained a close friendship in the years after Friends concluded in 2004, and often showcased their characters’ signature banter in their public interactions.

When rumors were swirling about a possible reunion for the sitcom, Perry tweeted “Big news coming…,” prompting even more speculation about a possible return of the beloved show.

Schwimmer was asked what the tweet was about during an interview on BBC One’s The One Show. He joked, “Maybe Matthew Perry is pregnant.”

The actor added that there was “nothing official to report, unfortunately” on the topic of a possible reunion. But the following year, the special aired on HBO Max, and Schwimmer gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the cast’s preparation.

He shared a photo of one of the group’s video conference calls ahead of the special, where all six stars were bright-eyed and smiling as they reconnected. In the photo, Schwimmer was laughing and he had a background on his video camera showing a photo of LeBlanc. "Cast zoom, planning the reunion,” he captioned the post.

PEOPLE's newly expanded Friends special edition issue is celebrating Matthew Perry’s life, humor and the show that made him beloved by millions.

Schwimmer also shared a selfie from backstage, in the background of which Kudrow, 60, and Aniston, 54, were seen, as well as a photo of the whole cast giving each other a group hug, which he shared alongside a similar photo which was taken before they filmed the sitcom’s final episode in 2004.

He added in the post’s caption, "Thank you @hbomax for bringing us back together…"

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