LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: According to sources, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc, and David Schwimmer are in early discussions to pay tribute to their late ‘Friends’ co-star Matthew Perry at the 2023 Emmy Awards on January 15, 2024.
The actors reportedly want to share their "personal memories" of Perry, who played the witty Chandler Bing on the iconic 90s sitcom 'Friends', and give him the recognition he “rightfully deserves.”
Perry, who was loved by many, passed away at his Pacific Palisades residence in LA, on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54.
The cause of his death is yet to be determined, pending the results of a toxicology report.
What can we expect from this purported reunion?
A source reported to DailyMail that, “When it comes to Matthew's death, emotions are still running high and it is still a very touchy situation, which is totally understandable,”
“But Jen, Lisa, and the rest of the cast want to honor him publicly at some point and give him the tribute he so rightfully deserves - and there have been rumblings to do it at next year's Emmys,” they added.
The insider has shared that Perry is likely to be honored in the ‘In Memoriam’ segment. Additionally, Lisa, Courteney, David, Matt, and Jennifer have expressed their desire to share their personal memories of Perry on stage.
“They all would love to get together on stage to speak about him and also have their own unique moment sharing memories about him and telling the world about the man he was in real life,” they continued.
The source explained, “If they can all agree on a worthy tribute and get the blessing of his family, they will absolutely get together to make that night a special moment for Matthew and all who loved him.”
What did his co-stars on ‘Friends’ say about Perry’s passing?
Days after the cast shared their individual memories of Perry in a series of staggered posts on social media, reports have emerged of a public tribute to commemorate the actor’s life.
Le Blanc, 56, shared an old picture of him and Perry from the ‘Friends’ set and commented: “Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.”
“It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.”
He concluded, “Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love,” and quipped like a true friend, “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Aniston, 54, posted a screen grab of an affectionate message she got from Perry, telling her he enjoyed making her laugh.
She began her tribute post on Instagram by saying, “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. We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Loss of life or loss of love,” she continued.
“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. 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 also recalled Perry's need to make everyone around him laugh.
“For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh. As he said himself, if he didn't hear the "laugh" he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it,” she wrote. “And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard.”
She concluded, saying, “Matty, I love you so much and I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying “could you BE any crazier?” Rest little brother. You always made my day…”
Cox, 59, who played Chandler's true love on the show, Monica Geller, reflected on the beginning of their onscreen romance by sharing a video of the two in bed in London when their first tryst was revealed, and a fun outtake to go along with it.
She wrote: “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day.”
Courteney added, “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites. To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say."
She concluded saying, "He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind. ”
Schwimmer, 57, thanked Perry for “ten incredible years of laughter and creativity”, sharing a picture of the actor in a white suit.
He added, “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.” David wrote, “This photo is from one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time.”
He concluded, saying, “I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around— "Could there BE any more clouds?"'
Kudrow, 60, who was the final cast member to pay tribute, thanked Perry for the numerous ways he had impacted her life. She recalled when they met at the pilot of the now world-famous sitcom, and acknowledged his contributions which made the show as iconic as it is today.
She reminisced, “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.”
“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 wrote alongside an old picture of the two.
She continued, “Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of “talking.””
She concluded her tribute with a ton of gratitude, “Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant. Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”
The 75th edition of the Emmy Awards will be held on January 15 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
The original date for the annual event was postponed due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Perry received five Emmy nominations during his career. In 2002, he was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in ‘Friends.’
He was also nominated twice for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, in 2003 and 2004, for his appearance in ‘The West Wing.’
