CNN
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The cast of “Friends” is taking time to “grieve and process” the death of their former co-star Matthew Perry.
In a joint statement provided to CNN on Monday, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc wrote: “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,” the statement, released by their individual representatives, continued. “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.”
Perry died Saturday at his home in the Los Angeles area. He was 54.
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Matthew Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on "Friends."
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Perry, pictured circa 1985, developed an interest in acting after moving to Los Angeles when he was a teen. He was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, to an actor father and a journalist mother.
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Perry and Christina Applegate were cast in the 1988 made for TV teen movie "Dance 'til Dawn."
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Actress Martha Plimpton and Perry are seen at the Limelight nightclub in New York City circa 1988.
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Perry guest stars in an episode of "Growing Pains" in 1989. His character was injured in the episode, which was about the dangers of drunk driving.
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Perry co-starred in "Friends" with Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston. The first season aired in 1994.
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Perry is seen in the 1995 "Friends" episode "The One with the Evil Orthodontist."
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The cast of "Friends" drink milkshakes in an iconic promo photo.
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Perry and Cox appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in 1996.
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Perry co-stars with Salma Hayek in the 1997 romantic comedy film "Fools Rush In."
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The cast of "Friends" pose for a promo shot in 1999.
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The sixth season of "Friends" aired in 1999.
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Perry and Cox are seen in the 2000 "Friends" episode "The One With Rachel's Assistant."
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Michael Clarke Duncan tackles Perry in a scene from the 2000 film "The Whole Nine Yards."
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Perry and Cox pose for a photo during the 2001 "Friends" episode "The One With Monica And Chandler's Wedding."
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Perry portrayed Joe Quincy on "The West Wing" in 2003, seen here alongside Amy Stewart, Richard Schiff and Milo O'Shea.
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Perry and British actress Kelly Reilly perform a scene from the West End play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" at The Comedy Theatre in London in 2003.
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Perry competes in the Merv Griffin Beverly Hills Country Club Celebrity Tennis Classic in 2003. Growing up, Perry pursued his passion for tennis and became a top-ranked tennis player in Canada, where he lived with his mother after his parents split.
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Perry prepares to make a statement as fellow "Friends" cast member LeBlanc hands over the award they won for favorite television comedy series at the 2004 People's Choice Awards.
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Perry made his directorial debut in a 2004 episode of "Scrubs." He is seen here talking to director of photography John Inwood as actors Zach Braff, left, and John C. McGinley look on.
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Perry co-stars with Amanda Peet and Bruce Willis in the 2004 sequel "The Whole Ten Yards."
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Perry participates in a Screen Actors Guild rally in solidarity with the striking Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles in 2007.
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Perry speaks onstage at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012. He was nominated four times for the prestigious TV acting award.
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Perry throws out the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 2012.
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Perry testifies before a House Subcommittee on the need to fund drug courts at the Capitol in 2013. Perry, who was
open about his struggles with addiction, was an ambassador for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
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Perry and Lindsay Sloane are seen behind the scenes on a 2014 episode of the CBS series "The Odd Couple."
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Perry plays Ted Kennedy in the 2017 TV series "The Kennedys After Camelot."
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The cast of "Friends" appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in 2021.
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Copies of Perry's memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," are displayed at a bookstore in 2022.
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Perry enters the stage for a conversation with editor Matt Brennan during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in Los Angeles in 2023.
Perry, 54, starred on the NBC sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004 as Chandler Bing, the charming and sarcastic member of a group of tight-knit friends living in New York City. The show was one of the most popular of its era and has continued to reach young audiences on streaming platforms.
In his role, Perry was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and he was also nominated in 2021 for executive producing the “Friends: The Reunion” special on what was then known as HBO Max.
Perry was found “unconscious in a stand-alone jacuzzi,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department provided to CNN on Monday.
“A bystander had brought the man’s head above the water and gotten him to the edge, then Firefighters removed him from the water upon their arrival,” they said when asked about the incident at Perry’s address. “A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival.”
The LACFD said the circumstances are being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, but there is currently no foul play suspected, a law enforcement source told CNN.
An autopsy has been conducted, but examiners are awaiting the results of toxicology reports in order to determine Perry’s cause of death, the medical examiner’s office told CNN on Sunday. Such reports can take weeks to complete.
On Sunday, “Friends” co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright released a statement to CNN, saying they were “shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing.”
“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,” the statement said. “More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart…This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
The chemistry between the cast of “Friends” stretched far beyond their on-screen dynamic. The actors have remained close since the show ended in 2004.
In an emotional moment on HBO Max’s “Friends: The Reunion” special in 2021, Perry said that anytime they’d run into each other “that was the end of the night. You just stay with the person all night long and that was it.”
Perry’s castmates have also at times helped him work through his struggles with addiction. In his memoir, he recounted how a visit to his trailer from Aniston made him realize that his battle with alcoholism wasn’t as secret as he thought.
“‘I know you’re drinking,’ she said,” Perry wrote, later adding that being “confronted” by Aniston about his drinking was “devastating.”
Their close connection as a group carried over into their business dealings as well.
In 1996, the cast employed a then-landmark negotiation tactic to strike new deals with their studio: sticking together. By the end of the show’s run, each primary cast member was making $1 million per episode.
“It’s a very loving, tight knit group,” Perry said during a 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“When we see each other, it’s a very heartwarming thing,” he added.
CNN’s Taylor Romine, Josh Campbell, Cheri Mossburg, Dan Heching and Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.