Lisa Kudrow shared an emotional tribute to her late “Friends” costar Matthew Perry on Instagram, writing, “thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have.”
In a Wednesday post, Kudrow recalled her first meeting with Perry while shooting the “Friends” pilot, titled “Friends Like Us,” which “got picked up then immediately” according to the actress, and shared a fond memory from NBC Upfronts.
“You suggested we play poker and made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that,” Kudrow wrote. “Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face every day.”
Kudrow also thanked Perry for his “open heart” in the “Friends” cast members’ “six way relationship that required compromise” and for “showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant.”
“Thank you for all I learned about grace and love through knowing you,” she continued. “Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
Perry died after an apparent drowning at his home Oct. 28 at age 54. He was best known for starring as Chandler Bing on the long-running NBC sitcom “Friends.” He also had memorable roles in the films “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.”
Kudrow’s tribute follows those of fellow “Friends” costars Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Anniston and David Schwimmer, all of whom shared messages of remembrance over the past few days, nearly two weeks after Perry’s passing.
After the news of Perry’s death circulated, the stars released a joint statement expressing their grief, and sharing they would need time to process the loss.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” the statement from Cox, LeBlanc, Anniston, Kudrow and Schwimmer read. “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.”
