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."



Raspy-voiced Hit Machine Rod Stewart Turns 80

Singer Rod Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP/File
Singer Rod Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP/File
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Raspy-voiced Hit Machine Rod Stewart Turns 80

Singer Rod Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP/File
Singer Rod Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s. Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL/AFP/File

Singer Rod Stewart, who helped British rock conquer the world with a string of megahits, turns 80 on Friday -- with no plans to slow down.
Stewart, with his distinctive spiky blond hair and raspy voice, dominated pop charts during the 1970s and 1980s with hits like "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Young Turks", notching up more than 250 million record sales worldwide.
He also made headlines for a prolific love life that included relationships with a string of models and actresses including Britt Ekland.
Despite his landmark birthday, Stewart says he has no plans to retire.
"I love what I do, and I do what I love. I'm fit, have a full head of hair and can run 100 meters (330 feet) in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79," he wrote last year.
The star will play the legends slot at the famed Glastonbury music festival this summer.
Although his forthcoming European and North American tour dates will be his last large-scale project, he has said he plans to concentrate on more intimate venues in the future.
He will headline a new residency in Las Vegas from March to June.
A tour is also slated for 2026 for Swing Fever, the album he released last year with pianist and ex-Squeeze band member Jools Holland.
As he has approached his ninth decade, Stewart has also made headlines for quirkier reasons such as his passion for model railways and his battle with potholes that have prevented him from driving his Ferrari near his home in eastern England.
The singer, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2016, has been married three times and has fathered eight children. His third wife is model and television personality Penny Lancaster.
From London to global star
Stewart's story began in north London on 10 January 1945, when Roderick Stewart was born into a middle-class family.
After a "fantastically happy childhood", he developed a love of music when his father bought him a guitar in 1959, and he formed a skiffle band with school friends a year later.
He joined the band Dimensions in 1963 as a harmonica player, exploring his love of folk, blues and soul music while learning from other artists such as Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in London's blossoming rhythm and blues scene.
Stewart's career took off in 1967 when he joined the renowned guitarist Jeff Beck's eponymous new band, which also included future Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, allowing him to develop his raw and soulful vocal style and stagecraft while exposing him to a US audience.
He and Wood took up the offer to join mod pioneers Small Faces following the departure of their singer Steve Marriott in 1969 -- the band soon changing its name to The Faces -- shortly before Stewart released his debut solo album.
It was his 1971 third solo release, "Every Picture Tells a Story", that confirmed him as one of the world's most successful artists, reaching number one in Britain, Australia and the United States, where it went platinum.
The album helped define Stewart's rock/folk sound, featuring heartfelt lyrics and heavy use of unusual instruments such as the mandolin, particularly prominent on the album's standout hit "Maggie May".
"I just love stories with a beginning, middle and end," he once said.
'I had the last laugh'
Focusing on his solo career after 1975, Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" released in 1978 was not to everyone's taste.
"Once the most compassionate presence in music, he has become a bilious self-parody -– and sells more records than ever," Rolling Stone magazine said in 1980.
Never one to be cowed by the critics, Stewart defended this phase, telling an interviewer that audiences "absolutely love it, so I had the last laugh".
Richard Houghton, author of the book "Tell Everyone -- A People's History of the Faces" said that Stewart had "possibly the most distinctive voice in rock music".
The singer had successfully combined writing classic songs of his own such as "Maggie May" or "You Wear It Well" with taking other people's songs -- from Bob Dylan to Tom Waits -- and making them his own .
More recently, there had been four albums of the "classic songs of the 1930s from his Great American Songbook catalogue".
Houghton said audiences could expect to see plenty more of Stewart.
"He's like any entertainer. He loves the spotlight. He's not going to sit at home watching the television when somewhere around the world there's a crowd wanting to hear him sing 'Mandolin Wind' or 'First Cut Is The Deepest' one more time.
"Rod will keep singing until the day he drops," he added.