Lisa Kudrow thanks Matthew Perry for his ‘open heart’ in touching tribute after his death
Lisa Kudrow thanked Matthew Perry for his “open heart” in a sweet Instagram tribute following his death at the age of 54.
“Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that,” she kicked off her heartfelt message on Wednesday, which captioned a Polaroid photo of Kudrow and Perry at the beginning of their time in “Friends.”
“Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of ‘talking.'”
The funnywoman went on to thank him for “showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant,” as well as “for the best 10 years a person gets to have.”
She concluded her message, “Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
Kudrow, 60, is the last of the “Friends” main cast to share a public tribute to Perry two weeks after his death.
Matt LeBlanc was the first one to break his silence earlier this week, followed by Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer.
However, shortly after the actor’s death, the cast released an initial statement where they talked about their devastation.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. 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,” it read.
“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.”
Kudrow and Perry, along with Schwimmer, Cox, Aniston and LeBlanc, starred together on “Friends,” which ran from 1994 to 2004.
Perry died Oct. 28 in an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles residence.
After a two-hour pickleball game in the morning, he made his way back home and asked an assistant to run an errand for him, according to TMZ.
Upon returning, the employee discovered Perry unresponsive in his jacuzzi and called 911.
In a statement to Page Six, the Los Angeles Police Department said it “responded to the 1800 block of Blue Sail Rd for a death investigation on a male [at] 4:10 pm.”
Police later confirmed that Perry was the decedent.
Read more about Matthew Perry’s life and struggles:
- 55 Vicodin & a quart of vodka: The most shocking tales from Matthew Perry’s tell-all memoir
- Matthew Perry: How to tell which drugs I used during ‘Friends’
- Matthew Perry reveals why he broke up with Julia Roberts in the ’90s
- Matthew Perry claims Cameron Diaz once punched him in the face on secret date
- Matthew Perry, Valerie Bertinelli made out while Eddie Van Halen was passed out
The “Comeback” star, 60, wrote the introduction for Perry’s 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” which detailed his decades-long battle with alcohol and drug addiction.
It seemed to be an odd choice, as Kudrow herself admitted she had not kept in touch with her castmate.
“After ‘Friends’ I didn’t see Matthew every day, and I couldn’t even hazard a guess with regard to his well-being,” she wrote at the time.
“This book is the first time I’m hearing what living with and surviving his addiction really was. Matthew has told me some things, but not in this kind of detail. He’s now letting us into Matthew’s head and heart in honest and very exposed detail,” the actress continued.
“And finally, no one needs to ask me or anyone else how Matthew’s doing. He’s letting you know himself. He has survived impossible odds, but I had no idea how many times he almost didn’t make it. I’m glad you’re here, Matty. Good for you. I love you.”
