In October 2023, fans of Friends star Matthew Perry were shocked to learn of his untimely death at the age of 54. At the time, Matthew's former co-stars posted heartbreaking tributes celebrating their friendships and bonds with the actor. Now, one of his cast mates is going one step further to honor him, and it's in a way we can likely all relate to.
When Lisa Kudrow (who played Phoebe Buffay on Friends) spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming series Time Bandits, she opened up about the sweet way she's paying tribute to Matthew, who portrayed Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom. She revealed she's rewatching Friends as a way to remember him, and the actress also specified why she's choosing now to do so.
"Honestly, I wasn’t able to watch it because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself," she told the outlet in an interview published on June 26. "But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s OK. And it’s just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him]."
Despite the discomfort Lisa initially had while beginning to re-watch Friends, she also explained how incredible it's been to take a stroll down memory lane. Mainly, she's impressed by the acting chops of all her co-stars, including Matthew.
"I’m blown away by Courteney Cox [who played Monica Geller], I’m blown away by Jen Aniston [who played Rachel Green]," she said. "Matthew, obviously, is just uniquely hilarious. No one ever knew that cadence or comedic rhythm before him. Matt LeBlanc [who played Joey Tribiani] is hilarious, and David Schwimmer [who played Ross Geller], too. Sometimes I even laugh at what I’ve done. That’s my own little way of celebrating [the anniversaries], just watching it."
As longtime fans know, Friends followed a group of 20-somethings who lived and hung out together in New York City. The show initially debuted in September 1994 and ran for 10 seasons. The series eventually ended in May 2004, and the sextet of actors later got together for a reunion special that aired on Max in May 2021.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
