John Stamos has shared a heartwarming Matthew Perry memory in the wake of his tragic death.
Perry, who shot to international stardom with his long-running role as the king of sarcasm Chandler Bing on Friends, was found dead in his Los Angeles hot tub on 28 October. He was 54.
A few days after his death, Stamos, 60, honoured Perry in an Instagram post. “Matthew and I had been friendly long before Friends, so when I guest starred as Zach, the prospective sperm donor for Chandler and Monica [Courteney Cox], I hung with him a lot,” the Full House star wrote.
Alongside a clip of a scene from the show’s episode titled “The One with the Donor”, in which Monica and Chandler grill Zach about his family’s health history, Stamos recounted Perry’s unforgettable act of kindness.
“Standing backstage, ready to make my entrance, Matt whispers, ‘The audience is going go crazy when they see you! Get ready for some loud screams.’ I walk through the door… silence. I was so embarrassed,” Stamos said.
“We finish the scene and as I start to slither back to my dressing room and quit showbiz, Matt walks over to the studio audience: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn’t recognise him at first because [he’s] so much better looking in person!’
“I never forgot that and the world will never forget you.”
Stamos’s tribute joins many other celebrities who have memorialised Perry. Criminal Minds actor Aisha Tyler, who guest starred on Friends as paleontology professor Charlie Wheeler across seasons nine and 10, also recalled Perry offering her comforting words on the first night of taping.
“I will never forget the moment he leaned in, on my first night of taping Friends, to tell me warmly, ‘Get ready for your life to change.’ Rest well, Matthew Perry. Thank you for the kindness and laughter,” Tyler wrote on Instagram.
Yesterday (30 October), Friends’ lead stars – Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow – broke their silence on Perry’s death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” they said in a joint statement to People.
“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.”
