“Friends” pays tribute to Matthew Perry after actor's death: 'He was a true gift to us all'

Thank you for being a Friend.

Following reports that actor Matthew Perry was found dead at age 54 on Saturday at his Los Angeles home, the show that made him a household name paid tribute to him.

The official Friends and Warner Bros. accounts posted about the news on Instagram, writing: "We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry's passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans."

Following appearances on Boys Will Be Boys and Growing Pains in the '80s, Perry's big break came when he landed the part of the sarcastic Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom about a group of 20-something pals in NYC alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. After premiering in 1994, the hit series went on for 10 seasons and found new viewers in recent years thanks to streaming platforms.

Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty The cast of 'Friends'

The cast, who stayed relatively tight-knit over the years, reunited in 2021 for a well-received reunion special on HBO Max. During the special, Perry grew emotional while speaking with his former costars about their special bond.

"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 shared. "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." As some of his costars began to tear up, he finished, "It's certainly the way it worked with all of us. It's just the way it is."

Perry was reportedly found dead in a hot tub at his L.A.-area home on Saturday, per TMZ, citing law enforcement sources. The outlet reported that no drugs were found at the scene.

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