Matt LeBlanc shares moving tribute to Matthew Perry: 'Spread your wings and fly brother'
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The duo spent 10 seasons as best buds Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing on Friends.
Matt LeBlanc is paying tribute to his late Friends costar Matthew Perry, who died at 54 on Oct. 28. For 10 seasons, the duo starred as roommates and best buds with LeBlanc portraying the goofy Joey Tribbiani to Perry's lovably sarcastic Chandler Bing. Referring to their time together as an "honor," LeBlanc remembered Perry in a Tuesday Instagram post.
"Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life," LeBlanc wrote alongside a carousel of photos from their days on Friends. "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."
He continued, "Spread your wings and fly brother you're finally free. Much love. And I guess you're keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."
The core Friends cast — including LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer — previously honored Perry with a joint statement in the days following his shocking death.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," read the statement. "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."
The Friends stars added that there would be more to say in the near future: "In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
In addition to the main cast, Perry has been remembered by Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane ("All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives"), supporting actors like Aisha Tyler ("I learned how to tell a joke perfectly just by watching him work"), and many other stars who crossed paths with him throughout his decades-long career.
Outside of his work as Chandler Bing on the popular NBC sitcom, Perry appeared in The West Wing, The Odd Couple, The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In, 17 Again, and more. He was a five-time Emmy nominee.
The actor struggled with addiction for years and was an outspoken advocate on the issue, and turned his former Malibu home into a sober living facility called the Perry House, which ran until 2015.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades. Authorities have said it will take time to determine a cause of death, though foul play is not suspected.
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