‘I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared’

‘Friends’ castmates have reacted to Matthew Perry’s death, sharing their memories and grief.

“What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry,” Maggie Wheeler posted to social media on Sunday.

Maggie played Chandler Bing’s girlfriend Janice on Friends.

“The joy you brought to so many in your too-short lifetime will live on.  I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”

Matthew, 54, was found dead in his LA home on Saturday morning local time.

While his closest co-stars on the show – Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – have yet to break their silence in the wake of Matthew’s death, tributes have been pouring in from stars and friends who knew and loved the actor.

“He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after,” Paget Brewster, who played another of Chandler’s girlfriends, wrote.

“Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though… he’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.”

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RELATED: Matthew Perry on addiction and friendship

RELATED: Friends star Matthew Perry dead at 54

Maggie Wheeler played Chandler Bing's iconic girlfriend Janice. Photo: Instagram

Stars pay tribute to Matthew Perry

Star of hit 90s show 90210 Shannen Doherty briefly shared the screen with Matthew and revealed she had a Valentine’s Day date with the actor.

“Matt always had THAT sense of humour,” she wrote.

“Matt and I had a date and it was on Valentine’s Day. He wanted to get a reservation at a restaurant in Malibu but couldn’t so my dad got the reservation for him.

“We went and he talked about my dad’s Irish persuasiveness the majority of the night. Our friendship spanned a long time. A lifetime really.

“I know many of us are hurting, especially our little gang. He will be missed by many and definitely by us. Yes, I could be more poetic or say things better but right now, shock and sadness prevail.”

Selma Blair also added her voice to the chorus of mourners, calling Matthew “my oldest boy friend”.

“All of us loved Matthew Perry and I did especially,” she wrote. “Every day.  I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams.”

The official X account for Friends paid beautiful tribute to the irreplaceable cast member.

“He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans,” the post read.

Shannen Doherty paid tribute, talking about her long history with Matthew Perry. Photo: Instagram

Matthew Perry dies, aged 54

Matthew was found dead in a jacuzzi spa at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday morning.

It’s understood that his death was the result of drowning following a cardiac arrest.

According to reports, there were no drugs or alcohol found at the scene.

Five days before his passing, Matthew published an eerie post to Instagram, picturing himself at night sitting in a jacuzzi spa.

“Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good?” he wrote. “I’m Mattman.”

RELATED: ‘Friends’ fans spot Matthew Perry detail in old scenes

In the wake of his death, Matthew Perry's final Instagram post is haunting. Photo: Instagram

Matthew Perry releases memoir

In November 2022, Matthew released his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, opening up about his years-long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

“I didn’t know how to stop,” he told People. “If the police came over to my house and said, ‘If you drink tonight, we’re going to take you to jail’, I’d start packing. I couldn’t stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive. So it gets worse and worse as you get older."

Matthew said he shared his memoir in the hope that someone else struggling with addiction might find comfort in his story, similar to the comfort Jennifer offered Matthew.

“I say in the book that if I die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thing to be living with.”

Matthew didn’t disclose to People how long he’d been sober for, but he said it was important to remember if he slipped up, it wasn’t the end of the world. The darkest times only made him stronger.  

“It’s important, but if you lose your sobriety, it doesn’t mean you lose all that time and education. Your sober date changes, but that’s all. As long as you were able to fight your way back without dying, you learn a lot.”

Originally published as ‘I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared’