‘Friends’ pay heartfelt tribute to late Matthew Perry on his special day

The official Friends Instagram account honoured the late Matthew Perry on what would have been his 55th birthday, sharing a heartfelt tribute.

The post featured a photo of Perry, who played the beloved character Chandler Bing on the iconic sitcom, alongside his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.

The caption read, "On this day, we remember the light that was Matthew Perry."

Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, at his Los Angeles home due to an accidental drug overdose that resulted in drowning.

After his death, his Friends co-stars released a joint statement to honour his memory.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," their statement read.

"There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."

"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," it continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

The creators of Friends, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, along with executive producer Kevin Bright, released a statement paying tribute to Matthew Perry after his passing.

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they wrote at the time.

“It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. 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,” they remembered of Perry.

“From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.”