Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and more share tributes for Matthew Perry
"He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us."
Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer posted emotional tributes to their late "Friends" co-star Matthew Perry on Wednesday.
The "Morning Show" actress shared an Instagram post dedicated to Perry, who died Oct. 28 at the age of 54, and wrote about having to say goodbye to her beloved pal.
"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," wrote Aniston, who played Rachel Green opposite Perry's Chandler Bing on "Friends."
"We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love. Being able to really SIT in this grief allows you to feel the moments of joy and gratitude for having loved someone that deep. And we loved him deeply," she continued. "He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be."
Aniston's post included a photo of Perry smiling at her as she is laughing. The next photo in the carousel of images revealed additional context behind the photo, with Aniston sharing a text exchange she had with her former co-star.
"Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day:)," Perry's text to her reads, to which she responds, "Awww the first of THOUSANDS of times..."
"For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh," Aniston wrote in her caption. "As he said himself, if he didn't hear the 'laugh' he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard."
"In the last couple weeks, I've been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again," she continued. "I'll keep them forever and ever."
She concluded her post, writing, "Rest little brother. You always made my day…."
Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller on "Friends," also shared a tribute to Perry on Wednesday.
"Matty, Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity," he wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of the two on the iconic sitcom. "I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes."
"And you had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers," he continued. "This photo is from one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time."
Schwimmer ended his post by referencing one of Perry's memorable line reads from "Friends," writing, "I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around -- 'Could there BE any more clouds?'"
A post from Kudrow paying tribute to the late actor also followed on Wednesday afternoon. The actress, who played Phoebe Buffay on "Friends," shared a photo of her and Perry on Instagram with a caption thanking Perry for his friendship.
"Shot the pilot, Friends Like Us, got picked up then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts. Then… You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that," Kudrow began.
"Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY," she said. "Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of 'talking.' Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant."
"Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you," she added. "Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew."
Aniston, Kudrow and Schwimmer's tributes come a day after Matt LeBlanc and Courteney Cox shared touching and heartfelt posts of their own honoring Perry.
Together, these real-life pals created a lifelong bond after starring on "Friends" for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004. They came together for a reunion in May 2021.
The personal tributes follow a joint statement the entire "Friends" cast issued in honor of Perry on Oct. 30 in the wake of his death.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," their statement read. "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Perry died last month in his Pacific Palisades home, with the LAPD noting in a statement issued Oct. 29 that he "was discovered by a witness unresponsive in his jacuzzi" on Oct. 28 at around 4 p.m. PT.
"The Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced Perry deceased," the LAPD's statement continued, adding that "there were no obvious signs of trauma."
The LA County coroner confirmed Oct. 29 to ABC News that an autopsy was performed. Perry's cause of death is pending while they wait for toxicology results, which could take weeks.
Perry's legacy lives on beyond his acting career. As an advocate for those struggling with addiction, something he himself had overcome, a foundation in his name -- The Matthew Perry Foundation -- was launched earlier this month to be the "realization of Matthew's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction."