On October 28, the news of actor Matthew Perry’s untimely death at the age of 54 left millions around the world heartbroken. Among those who knew Perry on a personal level, was his Friends co-star, Jennifer Aniston, who is reportedly profoundly impacted.
Aniston and Perry’s co-stars, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer from the beloved show released a joint statement a few days after his death on November 1 and attended Perry’s funeral at the Forest Lawn cemetery on November 3.
Perry’s death came two weeks before the anniversary of her father’s passing, who passed on November 11th, 2022.
While there are still unanswered questions, one thing certain is Perry’s gratitude for Aniston’s friendship.
They met through mutual friends three years before they started working on the show. Perry recalled his crush in his memoir, writing, “I was immediately taken by her (how could I not be?) and liked her.”
He explained that she gently turned him down after he asked her out, saying that she’d love to be friends. They would go on to star in the sitcom, and it was his old crush who first confronted him about his drinking while working on the show. Aniston confronted him in his trailer saying, “I know you’re drinking.”
In 2022, interview, Perry said, “She was the one who reached out the most. I am truly grateful to her for that.”