Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham has reflected on her close friendship with Matthew Perry, who died suddenly last month aged 54.
The two actors were rumoured to be in a relationship in the early 2000s. Graham, 56, however, referred to Perry as “my longtime Friend Who I Almost But Never Exactly Dated, or FWIABNED” in her 2016 memoir Talking As Fast As I Can.
During a Thursday (16 November) appearance on CBS Mornings, the Parenthood alum remembered Perry’s final year as a happy one.
“This last year, he was so proud of the book he wrote [Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing] and of how many people it touched,” she recalled. “It was a success that gave him a level of happiness that I hadn’t seen in him for a really long time, so that’s a nice memory.
“No one made me laugh as hard. I mean, just tears, streaming. There was just such joy in being around him and being his friend,” Graham said.
“I mean, it’s just a really tragic loss, and he leaves his beautiful work behind. And that’s something to be thankful for, and again, the book really meant something to him, so it was a really happy year for him.”
Perry, best known for his portrayal of the king of sarcasm Chandler Bing on Friends, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on 28 October.
His cause of death was deemed “inconclusive” after an initial postmortem showed no signs of meth or fentanyl in his system. His recently released death certificate stated that his cause of death remains “deferred”.
A conclusive update is reportedly not expected for “four to six months” with further tests currently underway.
Perry had been open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, writing honestly about his journey towards sobriety in his 2022 memoir.
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” reads the opening line.
“If you like, you can consider what you’re about to read to be a message from the beyond, my beyond.”
By June 2022, following 15 stints in rehab and therapy sessions, he described himself as “pretty healthy” and said he was motivated to help others struggling with addiction.
This week, all five members of the core Friends cast paid tribute to their late co-star, each sharing fond memories of the actor. Lisa Kudrow, who played the lovable yet scatterbrained Phoebe, rounded out the Friends quintet by posting a never-before-seen Polaroid photo of her and Perry on Instagram.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
