‘Forever Friend’ Matthew Perry remembered by famous personalities

Mumbai, Oct 29 (PTI) Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Nimrat Kaur on Sunday mourned the demise of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, thanking him for the laughs and his talent.

Perry shot to international fame for his portrayal of the socially awkward but amiable Chandler Bing who used sarcasm to get by in life. The actor, 54, died of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home on Saturday.

Kareena shared a still of Perry from the popular 1990s American TV show “Friends” and captioned it as “Chandler FOREVER” with a heart emoji on her Instagram Stories.

Ranveer posted a photograph on his Instagram Stories with an evil eye amulet, folded hands and dove emojis.

Samantha also shared a picture of Perry: “(heartbreak emoji). Forever Friend, thank you.”

“Rest in glory #MatthewPerry. Chandler Bing for life,” wrote Nimrat on X.

“Thank you for all the love and laughter, Matthew Perry. You’ll forever reside in our happy memories #ChandlerBing,” wrote Kajol.

Actor-comic Vir Das remembered Perry for pulling off a “tough character” like Chandler Bing on “Friends”.

“In most great comedy scenes there’s a character who IS the audience. Very tough character to pull off. Matthew Perry was that on Friends. The one who, like us, sees how idiotic this all is. Super hard to combine that with being silly yourself. He walked that line perfectly,” Das wrote on the microblogging site.

Veteran actor Venkatesh Daggubati said the world is a little less funny without Chandler Bing. “Rest in peace, dear friend,” he added in his post.

Actor Bipasha Basu shared the actor’s photograph on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “RIP Matthew Perry” with a broken heart emoji.

Actor-model Sophie Choudry, who has been reading Perry’s tell-all memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing”, said she was heartbroken by the actor’s untimely death.

“Been reading his autobiography and this is just heartbreaking. Thank you for all the laughs & your incredible talent #matthewperry .. May you finally rest in peace though the world has lost a gem,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.

Warner Bros Television Group, which produced “Friends” for its entire run from 1994 to 2004, shared an emotional statement on Perry’s demise.

“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans,” the company said.

Perry’s “Friends” co-stars — Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), and Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani) — are yet to react to his passing on social media.

Maggie Wheeler, who starred opposite Perry as Chandler Bing’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice, said the joy the actor brought to so many in “your too short lifetime will live on”.

“I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Paget Brewster, who played Kathy on season four of “Friends”, remembered Perry on social media.

“I’m so very sad to hear about @MatthewPerry. He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there,” Brewster said.

Morgan Fairchild, Perry’s on-screen mother Nora in “Friends”, said she is heartbroken about the untimely death of her “son”.

“The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest. #RIPMatthew,” she wrote.

“We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans,” read a post on the official X page of “Friends”.

His “Parallel Lives” co-star Mira Sorvino remembered Perry as a “sweet, troubled soul”. “May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!” she added.

In his memoir, Perry had detailed his life-long struggle with addiction. In a promotional interview, the actor had said how at one point he was taking 55 Vicodin, methadone, Xanax and drinking a full quarter of vodka in one day. He had previously opened up about how he thought being funny all the time would help him “get through”.

Perry had also said there was a point of time when he was close to death after experiencing a gastrointestinal perforation and his colon bursting following opioid misuse.

The actor was in the hospital for weeks after his colon-related emergency. He was in coma for two weeks and spent another five months in hospital care before he had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.

In an Instagram post, actor Selma Blair remembered Perry as “my oldest boy friend”.

“All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams,” Blair wrote.

“This is devastating. Your book shifted so many close to my heart. The people no one sees and most throwaway. It was a gift. Beyond the joy you brought to many, your heart reigned supreme. Rest well…..know that you brought love,” wrote Viola Davis in an Instagram post.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who went to school with Perry, shared a post on X as he remembered the games they played in childhood.

“Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved and you will be missed,” Trudeau posted.

Besides his work on “Friends”, Perry’s credits include films such as “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards”. In 2015, he played Oscar for a CBS reboot of “The Odd Couple” that aired for two seasons.

In 2021, the actor appeared on HBO Max’s “Friends” reunion special along with Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, Schwimmer, and LeBlanc.