Charlie Puth recalls Matthew Perry at 2023 Emmys with 'Friends' theme song

Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers addressed the stage at the 2023 Emmys to pay respect to their former colleague Norman Lear, in addition to other significant television figures who had gone away since the last ceremony.

Charlie Puth, together with Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter's group The War and Treaty, played the former's 2015 hit song See You Again during the Memoriam segment. As Matthew Perry was revealed as the last name in the video tribute, they concluded the segment with a performance of the Friends theme song.

In keeping with the spirit of the ceremony, which celebrated television reunions, Reiner and Struthers shared memories of their time spent together as co-stars on the beloved CBS sitcom All in the Family, which premiered in 1971 and continued for nine seasons.

“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there, a kochleffel is a ladle that stirs the pot, and when Norman the kochleffel stirred the pot, he wound up changing American culture.”

The audience laughed when they saw Succession actor Nicholas Braun nod confidently at the word's first appearance on screen, according to the description.

“To all of the members of all of our television families who have passed on, ‘Those were the days,'” Struthers added, with Reiner joining her for the last four words that referenced the All in the Family theme song.