'Friends' cast opens up about 'unfathomable loss' after Matthew Perry's death

The "Friends" cast is mourning one of their own after Matthew Perry, who played the lovable Chandler Bing, died Saturday at his Los Angeles home.

Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc released a joint statement, which was first obtained by People, paying tribute to their friend and co-star on Monday.

"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."

This marks the first time the stars of the iconic NBC sitcom have spoken out following Perry's death.

"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," their statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

"Friends" co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright said they were "shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing" in a joint statement to USA TODAY on Sunday.

"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 read. "He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart."

Bright expanded during an appearance on CNN's "Laura Coates Live" Monday, telling the host, "It is very tragic that Matthew’s life should end at 54, and especially at a point in his life where he seemed to have conquered the demons that plagued him for so long. And he was on a mission to help people and that’s what he was focused on."

The executive producer said Perry was "very up" the last time they spoke and was eager to get back into acting.

Bright described the relationship between the cast of "Friends" as a "family" even past filming. "For Matthew, with all of his troubles over the years, I think this cast really supported him in a way that allowed him to be the comic genius that he was. I think without that perfect cast around him, you know, it could have been a different story."

What we know so far:'Friends' star Matthew Perry, sitcom great who battled addiction, dead at 54

Perry was found dead Saturday in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home, according to TMZ, the first to report the news. 

NBC News and the Los Angeles Times also confirmed his death with police sources. After an initial investigation, the Los Angeles County coroner has deferred giving a cause of death, which may take weeks to determine, according to the Associated Press.

Perry co-starred on "Friends" for the entire 10-season run of what was then TV's #1 comedy from 1994 to 2004, and appeared in all 234 episodes. In a "Friends" reunion special released on HBO Max in May 2021, Perry reunited with the other five original cast members of "Friends."

The unscripted format allowed him to reminisce with co-stars Cox, Kudrow, Aniston, Schwimmer and LeBlanc, play a game of trivia and do a reading from the show's script.

In his memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," which was published November 2022, Perry revealed he was 18 months sober. He said he was grateful to be alive and to share his story with concerned "Friends" fans and addicts who face stigma and judgment.

"In the end, admitting defeat was winning," he wrote. "Addiction, the big terrible thing, is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down."

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Gary Levin, Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY

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