Since news of Matthew Perry’s death broke on Saturday, tributes have been pouring in. Those who worked with him remember a kind, loving, and hilarious person who was open about his private struggles with addiction. Those who only knew his work, like Adele, praised his comic chops. The actor had many credits to his name, though he’ll be best known for Friends, on which he played effortlessly sarcastic Chandler Bing. Among those who honored him were the show’s two creators.
“We will always cherish the joy, light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well… This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”⁰⁰— ‘Friends’ co-creators Marta Kauffman & David Crane on Matthew Perry’s tragic passing pic.twitter.com/UCpZMiWTVg
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 29, 2023
“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” David Crane and Martha Kauffman said in a statement. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.”
They went on:
“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. 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. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
Crane and Kaufman ended with a bittersweet shout-out to their show’s famous episode titles, writing, “This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
(Via Deadline)