Matt LeBlanc shares emotional tribute to ‘Friends’ co-star Matthew Perry
Matt LeBlanc has paid tribute “with a heavy heart” to Matthew Perry, who he famously starred alongside in Friends.
Perry died on October 28th at the age of 54. An initial post-mortem was deemed inconclusive, leading to the request for a full toxicology report, which is likely to take several weeks. While prescription drugs were found in Perry’s home, no illegal substances were found on the premises, and his death isn’t being treated as suspicious.
In a joint statement, his Friends co-stars, LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer, previously wrote of Perry’s passing: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. 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.”
They added: “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.”
Now, LeBlanc has released a statement of his own on Instagram. The actor shared a picture of the duo in character as Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing along with the caption: “It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life.”
He continued: “It was an honour 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. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Meanwhile, Zac Efron, who starred alongside Perry in 17 Again, recently declared he was “honoured” the late actor wanted him to star in a biopic of his life.
Efron also said he was “devastated” by the death of the actor, adding: “He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together. I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy.”
The Iron Claw star continued: “I mean, when we were filming 17 Again, it was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there, because I’ve learned so much from him, from his whole life.”
See LeBlanc’s post below.
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