‘Friends’ ran for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004.
Matthew Perry, known for his iconic character Chandler Bing in the superhit sitcom Friends, died at the age of 54 on October 28. The actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub. The first responders found Mr Perry unconscious and were unable to revive him. Tributes have been pouring in from across the globe. The cast of the show has now released a joint statement and said that they are “utterly devastated” by the loss of one of their own, as per a report in People Magazine.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” they said in the statement. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
It continued, “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.” The statement has been signed by Jennifer Aniston who played the character of Rachel Green, Courtney Cox who played Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow who played Phoebe, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, who played the character of Joey and Ross respectively in the show.
The creators of ‘Friends’ Marta Kauffman, David Crane and producer Kevin Bright had said that they “were deeply saddened” by the death of Mr Perry, who was a “brilliant talent”. “We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they wrote. “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. 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,” they concluded.
Maggie Wheeler, who played the role of Chandler’s ex-girlfriend Janice before he married Monica, shared a picture of them on Instagram and mourned the loss. She said, “What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
The sitcom ran for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004, and followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adult life, dating and careers. It was a mainstay of NBC’s much-vaunted 1990s and early 2000s television lineup and drew a massive global following.