Friends Creators Speak Out Following Matthew Perry's Death with Touching Statement
Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright are all mourning the loss: "The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken."
Actor Matthew Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing on NBC's smash-hit show Friends, died of an apparent drowning on October 28. He was 54. Perry passed at his Los Angeles home, law enforcement and one of Perry's representatives confirmed to NBC News.
Friends ran on NBC for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004, and Perry became known for his clever and sarcastic humor in his beloved portrayal of Chandler Bing. He also had rolls in Scrubs, 17 Again, The West Wing, Growing Pains, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Odd Couple, and more.
Perry's death comes almost a year after he released his memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which chronicled his years-long battle with addiction.
"There's been some real up and downs in my life," Perry told E! News about the memoir, "and this is a lot about the downs, but the further down you go, the more people you can help."
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NBC released a statement about Perry's death shortly after his passing. "We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry. He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations."
Friends creators release a statement on Matthew Perry's death
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and executive producer Kevin Bright released an official statement on Perry's death a day after his passing.
"We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives," the trio wrote, per E! News.
They continued: "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."
They also added an homage to classic Friends episode titles: "We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken."
