Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended1699257586

Matthew Perry laid to rest in Los Angeles among Friends cast members and family – latest

Friends star’s cause of death has been deemed ‘inconclusive’ following an initial autopsy as no signs of meth and fentanyl

Tom Murray,Isobel Lewis,Arpan Rai
Monday 06 November 2023 07:59 GMT
Comments
Matthew Perry’s iconic scenes from ‘Friends’

Matthew Perry was laid to rest at a Los Angeles cemetery yesterday in a service attended by relatives and castmates from the hit 1990s television sitcom Friends.

All five Friends co-stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – were present at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, reported TMZ.

Page Six said Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, were also there. About 20 people dressed in black attended and gathered around a burial plot, TMZ said.

On Friday, Perry’s hope of being remembered for “helping people to recover” from addiction realised as a foundation is set up in the late actor’s name.

The Matthew Perry Foundation said it "will honor his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible”.

 Last year, while promoting his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor admitted that he hoped he would be remembered for his outreach work, rather than his time on the hit sitcom.

1699018436

Matthew Perry inspired Lisa Kudrow’s memorable ‘my eyes, my eyes!’ line reading

Matthew Perry’s influence on the Friends writers’ room has been well documented, but it wasn’t only Chandler’s lines that he contributed towards.

In an interview between Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston that resurfaced following their co-star’s death, Kudrow recalled the iconic moment when Phoebe (Kudrow) accidentally sees Chandler (Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) having sex for the first time, and screams: “My eyes, my eyes!”

Kudrow said that she “stole” the way she said the line from Perry, with Aniston adding: “That’s exactly how Matthew Perry says it.”

“I actually asked his permission before we shot it,” Kudrow explained. “He was like, ‘Yeah, go for it.’”

Isobel Lewis3 November 2023 13:33
1699020390

The West Wing shows us the great dramatic career Matthew Perry never had

Writing in his column The Moment, The Independent’s Louis Chilton argues that The West Wing is the greatest example of Matthew Perry’s potential as an actor away from comedy:

The show that shows us Matthew Perry’s true genius – and it’s not Friends

Matthew Perry was so much more than Chandler Bing, argues Louis Chilton, who recalls the late actor’s extraordinary Emmy-nominated guest role in which his character unpicks a scandal that brings down the vice president. His show-stealing turn on the political drama gave a glimpse of what might have been...

Isobel Lewis3 November 2023 14:06
1699027542

Matthew Perry Foundation established following Friends star’s death

A foundation has been created in Matthew Perry’s name to help those struggling with addiction.

On Friday (3 November), six days after the actor’s death, the opening of the Matthew Perry Foundation was officially announced.

“In the spirit of Matthew Perry’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction, we embark on a journey to honour his legacy by establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation, guided by his own words and experiences, and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible,” the foundation’s opening statement reads.

The foundation is accepting donations to help individuals dealing with addiction.

Isobel Lewis3 November 2023 16:05
1699038004

Tribute: Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

The Friends star’s performances were a masterclass in comic timing. And in his life outside of Chandler Bing, he was disarmingly honest about his frailties and his struggles with addiction. Fiona Sturges pays tribute

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

The ‘Friends’ star’s performances were a masterclass in comic timing. And in his life outside of Chandler Bing, he was disarmingly honest about his frailties and his struggles with addiction. Fiona Sturges pays tribute

Tom Murray3 November 2023 19:00
1699041733

Video: Fans lay tributes to Matthew Perry outside Friends apartment in New York City

Fans lay tributes to Matthew Perry outside Friends apartment in New York City
Tom Murray3 November 2023 20:02
1699044900

What happens to the $20m Matthew Perry was earning in Friends residuals every year?

At the time of his death, Matthew Perry was reportedly earning around $20m (£16m) in residual fees from Friends.

Residuals are the long-term payments actors receive for reruns and other airings after their show’s initial release.

Charlie Douglas, a certified financial planner, told CNBC that it was possible state law would determine his estate plan.

In California, his parents will be the likely takers of his Friends royalties, as well as other parts of his estate including his 2022 memoir, according to Tasha Dickinson, trusts and estates partner at Day Pitney.

Tom Murray3 November 2023 20:55
1699052421

Friends theme song explodes in streams since Perry’s death

“I’ll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts has seen a surge in popularity since Perry’s death.

According to data from Billboard, the Friends theme song has tripled in streams across platforms like Spotify and Apple Music in the days since his death.

Tom Murray3 November 2023 23:00
1699056178

Video: Matthew Perry opens up about time Jennifer Aniston confronted him over addictions

Matthew Perry opens up about time Jennifer Aniston confronted him over addictions
Tom Murray4 November 2023 00:02
1699059600

The show that shows us Matthew Perry’s genius – and it’s not Friends

Matthew Perry was so much more than Chandler Bing, argues Louis Chilton, who recalls the late actor’s extraordinary Emmy-nominated guest role in The West Wing, in which his character unpicks a scandal that brings down the vice president. His show-stealing turn on the political drama gave a glimpse of what might have been...

The show that shows us Matthew Perry’s true genius – and it’s not Friends

Matthew Perry was so much more than Chandler Bing, argues Louis Chilton, who recalls the late actor’s extraordinary Emmy-nominated guest role in which his character unpicks a scandal that brings down the vice president. His show-stealing turn on the political drama gave a glimpse of what might have been...

Tom Murray4 November 2023 01:00
1699077307

Matthew Perry laid to rest in Los Angeles among Friends cast and family

Matthew Perry was laid to rest at a Los Angeles cemetery yesterday in a service attended by relatives and castmates from the hit 1990s television sitcom “Friends,” according to media reports and photographs from the funeral service.

The actor’s friends and family gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, less than a mile from the Warner Brothers studio where the show was filmed. It is also the final resting place of numerous Hollywood A-listers including Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor.

All five “Friends” co-stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – were there, reported TMZ.

Page Six said Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, were also there. About 20 people dressed in black attended and gathered around a burial plot, TMZ said.

The five surviving co-stars of the show paid tribute on Monday to their fallen castmate in a joint message lamenting his death as an “unfathomable loss.”

Forest Hills did not respond to a Reuters request for confirmation.

Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home, generating an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow celebrities.

Arpan Rai4 November 2023 05:55

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in