Heartbroken Friends enthusiasts have flooded the internet with tributes to the enduring bond between Matthew Perry and co-star Jennifer Aniston following his untimely death this weekend.
Fans have shared countless memes, clips and memories of the duo’s best moments in character as Chandler Bing and Rachel Green, along with candid clips of their infectious friendship behind the scenes.
Perry will forever be linked to his role in the iconic sitcom, along with his five co-stars Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
But it was perhaps Aniston who was his best friend – as he recently revealed that she was the cast member who ‘reached out the most’ during his substance abuse addiction struggles, and they remained in close contact until his death.
Perry was found dead in a jacuzzi at his home at the age of 54 on Saturday, following a rocky relationship with drugs and alcohol that he outlined in his memoir published just last year.
Heartbroken Friends fans have flooded the internet with tributes to Matthew Perry ‘s close bond with co-star Jennifer Aniston following his untimely death at the weekend
Perry recently revealed that Aniston was the Friends cast member who ‘reached out the most’ during his addiction struggles, and they remained in close contact until his death
Perry will forever be linked to his role in the iconic sitcom, along with his five co-stars Aniston, Matt LeBlanc , David Schwimmer , Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow
Friends fans around the world have been devastated by the news of Perry’s passing – and many have paid tribute to his tangible bond with co-star Aniston
His enduring bond with Aniston, 54, has been recognized by fans around the globe, as people flock to post videos of the duo online – including a touching recent clip of Perry speaking lovingly about the actress.
‘She would walk in, and I’d be like “hey, good to see you”, and I’d go to my dressing room and be like – sigh – I’ll never be able to be with her,’ the Williamstown, Massachusetts native told an interviewer.
Another clip shows a much younger Perry resting his arm on Aniston’s shoulder before she reaches over to kiss his wrist.
‘Matthew Perry loved Jennifer Aniston so much, they were literally soul mates,’ one devastated fan said as they shared the footage, which has been viewed more than two million times.
‘Truly breaks my heart that he’s actually gone, may he rest easily. Sending my prayers and thoughts to his family and friends’.
A heartbreaking interview of Aniston crying over the prospect of losing Perry to his addiction has also resurfaced.
When asked by an ABC interviewer what Perry ‘doesn’t know’, a visibly distraught Aniston said: ‘That he’s alright’.
‘We weren’t equipped to deal with it. Nobody had ever dealt with that, and the idea of losing him…’ she trailed off tearfully.
One clip shows a much younger Perry resting his arm on Aniston’s shoulder before she reaches over to kiss his wrist
Perry revealed that it was Aniston who confronted him first about his addictions during the filming of their hit sitcom when his symptoms were too evident to ignore for those who were close to him.
‘She was the one that reached out the most,’ he told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an October 2022 interview. ‘You know, I’m really grateful to her for that.’
Other fans have remembered the bond the stars shared during happier times, including photographs of them giggling together on set in the nineties.
Several pointed out how the Chandler/Rachel plotlines were less frequent than pairings of other characters – but the understanding of their off-screen friendship made these episodes ‘especially poignant’.
Their storylines included The One With All The Cheesecakes, which first aired in January 2001 and follows the pair becoming hooked on a cheesecake meant for their neighbor which is accidentally delivered to Chandler’s door.
The comedic narrative shows the pair conspiring to steal more of their neighbor’s cheesecakes after they try the first one and become hooked – before the cake-stealing chaos escalates after they split one and Rachel drops her half.
It ends with Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, finding the pair eating the fallen cheesecake from the ground, and he grabs a fork from his pocket without questioning the situation and joins in.
Dozens of people on X, formerly known as Twitter, dubbed it their ‘favorite’ of the 236 episodes, with one fan commenting: ‘I always wished Rachel and Chandler had more scenes one on one together. I loved their friendship.’
Real life friends: Matthew Perry praised Jennifer Aniston for being a constant and reliable friend through all his ups and downs in life, including his struggles with drugs and alcohol; they are seen during Friends: The Reunion in May 2021
Lifeline: The actor revealed that part of his inspiration for writing his 2022 memoir – Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing – was the hope that his stories could serve as kind of lifeline for others like Aniston was for him
Friends for life: Perry would share his gratitude for all of his Friends castmates’ efforts to support him when he was struggling with drugs and alcohol: all six of the Friends stars are seen during the reunion show in May 2021
Others remembered the iconic scene showing Chandler and Rachel helping Ross Geller, played by David Schwimmer, move a sofa up a stairway to his New York apartment.
Part of the episode called The One With The Cop, the trio struggle to maneuver the large two-seater up the multi-level stairwell as Ross shouts: ‘Pivot!!’
Fans shared outtakes from the scene showing all three struggling to stay in character and eventually breaking down into fits of laughter.
With the world still reeling in the wake of Perry’s passing, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has said his cause of death is ‘deferred’ with the investigation considered ‘ongoing’ by authorities.
