The Simpsons actor Hank Azaria shares touching details about friend Matthew Perry’s 'sad' funeral

Amongst the hundreds of TV and film stars that are continuing to mourn the loss of the late Friends actor Matthew Perry, is his 90s co-star and long-time pal, Hank Azaria.

Azaria - who played Phoebe Buffay's 'science guy' boyfriend David - was one of the first actors to pay tribute to the Chandler Bing star, who tragically died at his Los Angeles home in October.

"Matthew was the first friend I made in Los Angeles," he began his tribute video posted to Instagram.

"When I moved there I was 21, he was 16. We did a pilot together called Morning Maggie. It never saw the light of day but Matthew and I became really good friends."

The Simpsons star Azaria went on: "We were really more like brothers for a long time.

"We drank a lot together, we laughed a lot together, we were there for each other in the early days of our career.

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"To me, as funny as he was on Friends (and other things too), in person he was just the funniest man ever. He lived to laugh."

Perry's unexpected death shook the world, just a year after opening up in his memoir about getting close to death due to his struggles with addiction.

Law enforcement sources have said there was no sign of foul play or drugs at the scene, with Perry reported to have been found unresponsive in his hot tub.

Last week, family and friends of the late comedy star - including Hank - attended attended Perry's November 3 funeral ceremony in the Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills.

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"You know, sad," Hank described the gathering this week. "He was a hilarious man, so we would sort of [be] alternately laughing and crying remembering him."

"We’ve all had people we’ve lost. The world really lost him. In a way it’s nice to have the world sort of sharing with you."

Perry starred alongside Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Courtney Cox (Monica Geller) and Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani) in the sitcom, which was first released on NBC in 1994.

The cast - friends not just onscreen but with close bonds in real life too - returned for a reunion special in 2021, and at the service last week, they came together once again to pay a touching tribute to him.

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They wrote in a collective statement: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates.

"We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

"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."