‘Friends’ cast break silence on death of Matthew Perry

As the world continues to pay tribute to Matthew Perry, his castmates from Friends have released a joint statement, two days after his sudden death at the age of 54.

Perry’s friends and Friends castmates — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer — are speaking out for the first time publicly about their grief in a short statement, provided exclusively to People this evening.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” the statement reads. “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,” the statement continues. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

The cast is signed by the five remaining cast members, who worked with Perry on the NBC comedy series from 1994 to 2004.

Yesterday, the creators of Friends — Marta Kauffman and David Crane — along with executive producer Kevin Bright, released a statement with their own reaction to Matthew Perry’s death.

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” the statement, also to People, reads. “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.”

Speaking about their decision to cast a then 25-year-old Matthew Perry as the iconic character of Chandler Bing, the creators added, “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,” the statement continued. “He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”

The statement ended with a moment of solidarity and support for Perry’s loved ones and co-stars, as well as including a sweet reference to the episode title style, invoked in all 236 episodes of the sitcom. “We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is ‘The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.’”