Matt LeBlanc shares emotional tribute to Friends co-star Matthew Perry
LeBlanc wrote "it was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend".
Matt LeBlanc has become the first of the main cast members of Friends to share a tribute to Matthew Perry following his former co-star’s death at the age of 54.
LeBlanc shared a number of photos of him and Perry on the set of the hit NBC sitcom on Instagram, writing in the caption: "It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life."
He continued: "It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.
"Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love."
He concluded: "And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."
It comes after LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer issued a joint statement paying tribute to Perry.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," the actors wrote. "We were more than just castmates. 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."
Perry passed away in October after an apparent drowning at his home in Los Angeles.
The cause of Perry’s death has been listed as "deferred" on the coroner’s website as it awaits a toxicology report.
He was best known for his role as Chandler throughout the entirety of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004.
Perry was open about his struggles with substance abuse and addiction during filming, and also set up a sober living facility for men battling similar issues after the show came to a close.
In an interview back in 2022, the star admitted that he had never watched the series, saying: "I didn't watch the show, and haven't watched the show, because I could go, 'Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine.'
"I could tell season by season, by how I looked. That's why I don't wanna watch it, because that's what I see.
"But I think I'm going to start to watch it because it's been an incredible thing to watch it touch the hearts of different generations."
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
