Most American TV shows that showed unbreakable bonds on screen often had the actors warring off-screen due to a clash of personalities. But Friends has to be the one exception, which saw Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer form lifelong bonds off-screen as well. 

This is why when Matthew died due to a lethal dose of ketamine in 2023, the cast seemed genuinely heartbroken whenever they spoke of their friend and co-star in interviews. On Friendship Day, looking back at how the gang reminisced their friend.

Jennifer Aniston

In an interview with Variety after Matthew’s death, Jennifer, who played Rachel Green in the show, revealed her last text with him. She said, “I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn't struggling. He was happy. I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard.”

More recently, on the publication’s Actors on Actors series, Jennifer got teary-eyed remembering Matthew when she was asked what it was like to watch the show in 2024. In January this year, she was asked on a red carpet how people can honour him, she replied, “Celebrate him.”

Courteney Cox

Talking to CBS Sunday Morning, Courteney claimed that Matthew ‘visits’ her a ‘lot’ after his death. She also stated that she’s thankful to have worked with him in Friends, adding that he had a ‘huge heart’. She said, “I think he’s probably one of the funniest human beings in the world. You know, he’s just so funny. He is genuinely a huge heart, obviously struggled. I’m so thankful I got to work so closely with him for so many years. He visits me a lot, if we believe in that.”

Courteney’s Monica Geller played the wife of Matthew’s Chandler Bing on Friends. After his death, she shared a video of their scenes from the show, writing, “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day.”

Lisa Kudrow

On an episode of Conan O'Brien's podcast, Lisa, who played Phoebe Buffay, remembered the first time she heard Matthew read for his part of Chandler. She said, “At the table read, I just did a double take at him [like], 'Oh my god.' I never, even in a million years, could have envisioned anyone playing the character like that. And with his own rhythm and everything. It's his own. Impeccable timing, but also just [hilarious].”

Lisa also told him that she began rewatching Friends after Matthew’s death. “It’s just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him].”

Matt LeBlanc

Matt, who played Joey Tribbiani on Friends, shared pictures of him and Matthew on the sets of Friends on Instagram, penning a note to say goodbye to his friend. He wrote of how it was an ‘honour’ to be his friend and how he will always ‘smile’ while thinking of him.

“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,” wrote Matt, adding, “Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”

David Schwimmer

David, who played Ross Geller in the show, remembered his friend’s ‘generous’ heart after his death. In a long Instagram post, he thanked ‘Matty’ for ‘ten incredible years of laughter and creativity.’

“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,” he wrote, adding, “And you had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.”

Sharing that the picture he was posted of them together was his favourite moment, he added, “I imagine you up there, somewhere, in the same white suit, hands in your pockets, looking around—“Could there BE any more clouds?”