Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ Costars Reminiscence about Late Actor

A makeshift memorial for US actor Matthew Perry outside the building shown in exterior shots of the television show 'Friends', in New York, USA, 30 October 2023 (Issued on 31 October 2023). (EPA)
A makeshift memorial for US actor Matthew Perry outside the building shown in exterior shots of the television show 'Friends', in New York, USA, 30 October 2023 (Issued on 31 October 2023). (EPA)
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Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ Costars Reminiscence about Late Actor

A makeshift memorial for US actor Matthew Perry outside the building shown in exterior shots of the television show 'Friends', in New York, USA, 30 October 2023 (Issued on 31 October 2023). (EPA)
A makeshift memorial for US actor Matthew Perry outside the building shown in exterior shots of the television show 'Friends', in New York, USA, 30 October 2023 (Issued on 31 October 2023). (EPA)

Matthew Perry’s "Friends" co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor’s death last month.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer posted heartfelt notes about Perry, who died Oct. 28, on Instagram. The posts on Tuesday and Wednesday were accompanied by photos from the "Friends" set.

"In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again," Aniston posted Wednesday, sharing a text message where Perry sent her photo of a script reading session where Perry made her laugh.

"Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before," Aniston’s post read.

The stars, including Lisa Kudrow, issued a joint statement a few days after Perry's death, saying they were "all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family."

Schwimmer posted a photo of him and Perry dressed up as "Miami Vice" characters, calling it "one of my favorite moments with you."

"Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time," Schwimmer’s post said.

LeBlanc posted Tuesday: "It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never." His post included one candid shot of the cast all hugging on set.

Perry was found dead last month at his Los Angeles home. After an initial investigation, the Los Angeles County coroner deferred giving a cause of death, which may take weeks to determine.

Cox shared a video clip of a "Friends" scene where her and Perry's characters are in bed, trying not to have their relationship discovered. It’s an iconic moment of the show, and Cox shared a bit of backstory about filming.

"In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say," Cox posted. "He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind."

"I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day," she wrote.

Most of the posts reference how sweet, funny and thoughtful Perry was.

LeBlanc ended his note with a bit of comedy, writing: "Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."



Spielberg, De Niro, Freeman Praise Francis Ford Coppola as He Accepts the AFI Life Achievement Award

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, right, accepts the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from presenters George Lucas, left, and Steven Spielberg on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, right, accepts the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from presenters George Lucas, left, and Steven Spielberg on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Spielberg, De Niro, Freeman Praise Francis Ford Coppola as He Accepts the AFI Life Achievement Award

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, right, accepts the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from presenters George Lucas, left, and Steven Spielberg on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, right, accepts the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award from presenters George Lucas, left, and Steven Spielberg on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Steven Spielberg proclaimed “The Godfather” the “greatest American film ever made,” Robert De Niro teasingly bemoaned being cast in the sequel and not the original and Harrison Ford fought back tears reflecting on his role in the 1974 film, “The Conversation.”
At the center of it all was Francis Ford Coppola, who on Saturday received the AFI Life Achievement Award at a ceremony at Dolby Theatre that brought together legendary stars from a seemingly bygone era of cinema,
A founding AFI trustee, Coppola’s recognition from the organization was a kind of full circle moment for the “Apocalypse Now” director.
“When I was a kid there was the Oscars and that was it. Now they’re going to have an award show for the best award show,” the 86-year-old said on the red carpet ahead of the show. “But this is a little different because it’s a personal recognition of the people that you’ve known all your life and your colleagues over many years, so it’s like a homecoming in a way.”
“You, sir, are peerless. You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film,” Spielberg said.
Coppola sat between Spielberg and George Lucas, as actors and fellow filmmakers like Spike Lee, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino and Morgan Freeman took turns gushing over the Oscar winner.
“Dreamer of dreams on a dime, teller of tales that cost and lost millions. But tonight, (expletive) the bankers and the bank,” Freeman said to laughs and cheers.
Lucas, Coppola’s longtime friend and colleague, presented him with the award. The pair have known each other for decades and cofounded their own production company, American Zoetrope, in 1969.
“You rounded up a bunch of young film students, gathered us together. We moved to San Francisco, hoping to beat the system. And we did. Like the filmmakers from the dawn of the art form, we had no rules. We wrote them, and you were holding the pen,” Lucas said.
Coppola was mostly stoic throughout the ceremony as Hollywood sang his praises — until he accepted the award at the end of the night. He beamed as he approached the stage and thanked the room, which was filled with some of his family members as well as multigenerational A-listers.
“Now I understand here, this place that created me, my home, isn’t really a place at all, but you — friends, colleagues, teachers, playmates, family, neighbors, all the beautiful faces are welcoming me back,” he said. “I am and will always be nothing more than one of you.”
Coppola was the 50th recipient of the award first handed out to John Ford in 1973.
Guests were served wine from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and after dinner — true to his Italian heritage — a trio of cannolis. Actors who have worked with Coppola painted a unified picture of him as a director, reminiscing on how they were invited to participate and educated about film in a way that empowered them.
“He’s very professorial. He talks about history and things and even older movies in the scene he’s inspired by,” said “The Godfather III” star Andy Garcia. “You go into working with him in a movie, and you go in seeking an associate’s degree and you would walk out with a master’s.”
Coppola last year released his long-in development “Megalopolis,” a Roman epic set in a modern New York. The film drew mixed reviews from critics and flopped with audiences. Coppola, though, has maintained he was compelled to make “Megalopolis” as an artist, not as a businessman. He self-financed the film.
“For a year in our culture when the importance of the arts is minimized, and our industry is seemingly out in the open that the only metric to judge a film’s success is by how much money it makes, I hang on to individuals like Francis for inspiration, who live through their convictions,” said Adam Driver, who starred in the film.
Last year’s AFI honoree was Nicole Kidman. Other recent recipients include John Williams, Mel Brooks, Denzel Washington and Julie Andrews.