The stars of Friends say they are mourning the “unfathomable” death of Matthew Perry.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer said in a joint statement to People on Monday. “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.”
From 1994 to 2004, each of the five actors appeared in every episode of all 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom along with Perry, who was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday at age 54.
“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 said. “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.”
It was the first public statement on Perry’s death from Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc or Schwimmer.
After an initial investigation, the Los Angeles County coroner has deferred giving a cause of death, which may take weeks to determine.
‘Nostalgia and gratitude’
Others publicly mourning Perry on Monday included Salma Hayek, his co-star in the 1997 rom-com Fools Rush In, which Perry had said was probably his best film.
“It’s taken me a couple of days to process this profound sadness. There is a special bond that happens when you share dreams with someone, and together you work towards them,” Hayek said in an Instagram post. “Throughout the years, he and I found ourselves reminiscing about that meaningful time in our lives with a deep sense of nostalgia and gratitude. My friend, you are gone much too soon, but I will continue to cherish your silliness, your perseverance, and your lovely heart.”
Flowers and tributes
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on Friends, is being mourned by fans worldwide, including some who placed flowers and heartfelt tributes outside the New York building that served as an exterior for the show.
Others who worked with Perry expressed their sorrow on Sunday, included Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who, echoing the style of the show’s episode titles, said that this “truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
