It’s been nearly a year since the world lost Friends star Matthew Perry. For many of us who breathe in reruns like oxygen, there’s been something of a dark cloud hovering over the show, robbing it of some of its carefree comedy due to the circumstances surrounding Perry’s death at age 54. Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman gave her own perspective on Perry’s final days, imploring fans to celebrate his memory and not remember him “as a man who died like that.”
On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tub, and an autopsy concluded that he had drowned due to the high levels of ketamine found in his system. Marta Kaffman told The Times (UK) that she kept in touch with the Chandler Bing portrayer more than any other member of the Friends cast, and she shared her thoughts on honoring his legacy, saying:
He is the one I had the most contact with. About two weeks before [he died] he and I were FaceTiming and he seemed really good. Two things come to mind [about how to celebrate him]: one of them is to donate to drug treatment centers — let’s fight the disease. And the second way is to watch Friends and remember him not as a man who died like that but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody.
It’s definitely not easy to ignore the struggles Matthew Perry had. He even pointed out in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing that you can track his addiction through the series by looking at his weight fluctuations. With the recent arrests that were made in connection with his death, perhaps his loved ones and fans can get some closure and start to move on.
After all, this is definitely not how the actor himself would want to be remembered. Matthew Perry even addressed his legacy in his book, saying that he was someone who helped people, not just an actor on the hit NBC sitcom. I think he’ll be remembered for both of those things, but it will take some time.
Marta Kauffman wasn’t the only alum from the iconic show to speak with the actor just ahead of his death. His former co-star Jennifer Aniston said she was texting with him that morning and “he was happy.” The actress who played Rachel Green also said he seemed healthy and had quit smoking.
I’m sure that only made what happened later that day even harder for Jennifer Aniston and the rest of the Friends stars to comprehend. She, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer released a joint statement in the days that followed, saying they were “devastated” by the “unfathomable loss.”
The tragic circumstances that led to Matthew Perry’s death is tough for fans to deal with, but Marta Kauffman knows it’s possible to honor his memory in a way that would make him happy — by helping others struggling with addiction and rewatching Friends to laugh at some of Chandler’s most hilarious quotes.
All 10 seasons of the show that’s considered one of the best sitcoms of all time can be streamed with a Max subscription, and you can see what the other Friends cast members are up to.
