Matthew Perry explained tragic reason he couldn't watch Friends back before he died
Matthew Perry previously explained the tragic reason he couldn’t watch Friends back.
The Chandler Bing actor died last year on 28 October at the age of 54.
Best known for the iconic sitcom, Perry starred in Friends for all 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 - with tomorrow (6 May) marking 20 years since the show ended.
His death saw an outpouring of grief as fans paid tribute to the star and looked back on many of his iconic moments.
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The network which aired Friends, NBC also paid tribute to Perry with a statement: “We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry.
“He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch-perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations.”
Over the years, The West Wing actor was very open about his struggles with addiction and in 2022 released the memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
While doing promo for the book, he explained to CBC why he hadn’t watched back old episodes of Friends.
“I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go, 'Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine',” Perry said.
"I could tell season by season by how I looked. And I don’t think anybody else can, but I certainly could.”
The star added: “That’s why I don’t wanna watch it, because that’s what I see. That’s what I noticed when I watched it.”
However, he went on to say he was thinking about starting to watch the show again.
“First of all, it was an incredible ride,” Perry said. “But it’s been an incredible thing to watch it touch the hearts of different generations.
“It’s become this important, significant thing. And you know, I would watch that again - it was really funny and all the people were nice and I’ve been too worried about this. I want to watch Friends too.”
Following his death, Perry’s co-stars from the show shared a heart-breaking tribute to him.
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer wrote: “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."
Topics: Matthew Perry, Friends, Celebrity, TV and Film
Jess Battison