Following the death of Matthew Perry, the rest of the cast of Friends have released a joint statement that honors the actor who played Chandler Bing alongside them for 10 seasons.
In a statement to People, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer shared the following words for Perry;
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," their statement reads. "There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continues. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Their statement joins the countless others who took the time to remember Perry, including Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright.
"We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they wrote. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent.
“It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.
“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment — not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
"We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
Perry died on October 28 at the age of 54, but his legacy will obviously live on for years to come as Friends continues to be one of the most successful and beloved shows of all time. Perry was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series alongside Matt LeBlanc, but they both lost to Ray Romano. Despite that, the honor remains.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
