Former costars and celebs pay tribute to Matthew Perry following his death at 54 (2024)

• Matthew Perry was found dead on Saturday at his Los Angeles home. He was 54 years old.
• Tributes have poured in from celebrities, including former"Friends" cast members.
• "The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on," Maggie Wheeler wrote.

Following the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, who was found dead on Saturday after an apparent drowning, celebrities posted heartfelt tributes to the star on social media.

"We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry's passing. He was a true gift to us all," the official "Friends" account posted on X shortly after news of his death broke. "Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans."

Perry's "Friends" co-stars shared their heartbreak over the "unfathomable loss" in a group statement two days later, with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer saying in a joint statement that they "were more than just cast mates. We are a family."

"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," NBC News reported the group said. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Molly Hurwitz, who was once engaged to Perry until he broke things off in 2021, also paid tribute to her ex-fiancé.

Sharing a picture of Perry's silhouette on Instagram, Hurwitz said that the late actor would love that the world is talking about his talent.

"While I loved him deeper than I could comprehend, he was complicated, and he caused pain like I'd never known," she wrote. "No one in my adult life has had a more profound impact on me than Matthew Langford Perry. I have tremendous gratitude for that, for everything I learned from our relationship."

"Criminal Minds" actor Paget Brewster, who briefly appeared on "Friends" as a love interest to Perry's character, Chandler Bing, wrote on X that it was Perry's "legacy to help."

"He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after," Brewster 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."

Morgan Fairchild, who played Chandler Bing's mother on the show, wrote on X that she was "heartbroken" about his "untimely death."

"The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I'm sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest," she added.

Maggie Wheeler, another of Perry's love interests on the show, said his death was "a loss."

"The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on," Wheeler wrote on Instagram along with a photo of the pair on the set. "I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared."

Author and actor Selma Blair, known for her roles in "Legally Blonde" and "Cruel Intentions," wrote on Instagram that 54-year-old Perry was her "oldest boy friend."

"All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I'm broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams," Blair wrote in the caption of a photo of her with Perry.

Mira Sorvino, his costar in the TV movie "Parallel Lives," wrote on X that she hoped Perry found "peace and happiness in Heaven." He played the character of Willie Morrison.

Meredith Salenger, who acted with Perry in the 80s drama "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," shared photos on X of the two of them, including one of the pair at a writers' picket.

"Matthew and I have known each other since [we] were 16 years old. Oh man. No words," Salenger wrote on social media.

Yvette Nicole Brown, who starred alongside Perry in a remake of the sitcom "The Odd Couple," said on X that Perry "deserved more peace in this life."

"54 is too young to go," Brown wrote. "We love you, Matty!"

"The Wire" actor Wendell Pierce, who also appeared with Perry in "The Odd Couple," said on X: "Damn. For 2 years Matthew Perry was my boss, my colleague, and a giving, kind, funny man. I pray and hope he is at peace."

Perry's longtime friend and fellow actor Shannen Doherty shared a throwback photo on Instagram with the heartfelt caption: "Our friendship spanned a long time. A lifetime really."

She added: "I know many 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."

Adele paused her concert Saturday during her Las Vegas residency to pay tribute to the late "Friends" actor, per the Los Angeles Times. "He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave," she said.

"Saturday Night Live" memorialized Perry during the show's broadcast with a black-and-white photo that included his name, according to People. Perry hosted "SNL" in October 1997 to promote his film, "Fools Rush In," that costarred Selma Hayek. At the time Perry was at the height of his "Friends" fame.

Rumer Willis shared that Perry was "kind and funny and sweet" in an Instagram Story Saturday. Rumer's father Bruce Willis starred alongside Perry in the hit movie "The Whole Nine Yards," and the sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards."

"I'm so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing," she wrote. "When I was a kid and I was on set while he and my dad were doing whole nine and whole 10 yards he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sisters and me and I think his physical comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much," Willis said.

"I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy. I hope he can rest peacefully," she continued.

The journalist and author Jon Ronson said he "got to know" Perry when they worked on the 2014 show "The Dog Thrower" together.

"He was extremely thoughtful and generous, even letting us stay in his home, for no reason other than kindness. Anyway, when someone is that kind, you should let people know, hence this tweet," Ronson wrote.

Other celebrities who posted tributes included Rosie O'Donnell, Nancy Sinatra, Octavia Spencer, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Simmons.