Jennifer Aniston wants the world to know that Matthew Perry was in a good place before his untimely death.
In her first interview following the loss of her “Friends” co-star, Aniston told Variety she hopes Perry is remembered “as he said he’d love to be remembered” — a man who lived well and helped others.
“He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know,” she said, through tears. Next to her, Aniston’s “The Morning Show” co-star Reese Witherspoon held her hand as she wiped her tears. “I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”
She continued, “I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard.”
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Perry died on Oct. 28 at the age of 54. He was best known for starring in all 236 episodes of “Friends,” alongside Aniston, David Schimmer, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow. In 2022, Perry opened up about his struggles with sobriety in his book, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”
Following his death, the cast, along with other actors and numerous reporters — myself included! — wrote about their experiences with Perry and how much his character, Chandler Bing, meant. Additionally, a foundation was founded in his name to help others struggling with addiction.
“It’s so beautiful,” Aniston said of the outpouring of love. “I hope he can know that he was loved in a way he never thought he was.”
Additionally, Aniston tried to find the words to describe Perry’s dialect, which became synonymous with Chandler Bing. “His way of speaking created a whole different world,” she said. “We went with his lead, in a way. It just added something to our joy.”
Witherspoon, who appeared on two episodes of “Friends” in 2000, commended the entire cast of the hit sitcom.
“You all were so close. It’s incredible what was born of those friendships, and how you guys have always taken care of each other for years and years. It’s really beautiful and set standards for our business, as well, with the way you respected each other,” she said. “I feel lucky that I got to be on that show and I walked in like Alice in Wonderland, watching the most popular cast do this whole thing. I remember going home and going, oh, they’re in another league. They’re on another planet on comedy levels that I’ve never seen my entire life, pivoting on a dime and working on each other’s energy and it was extraordinary.”