Jennifer Aniston has shared poignant reflections on the death of her Friends co-star Matthew Perry, describing what she finds most tragic about his passing two years after the event.
The Most Heartbreaking Detail
The 55-year-old actress, famous for playing Rachel Green in the iconic sitcom, spoke candidly about the October 2023 death of Matthew Perry, who portrayed Chandler Bing. Despite two years having passed, his sudden death continues to affect his friends, co-stars, and fans worldwide.
"It was so alarming and shocking, yet not shocking," Jennifer revealed during her interview with Elle magazine. "We always said, 'I hope I never get that phone call.'"
She expressed profound sadness that her friend never found the happiness he desperately sought, adding: "We miss him. He's missed. He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything. It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it."
A Decades-Long Friendship
Jennifer and Matthew's friendship spanned decades, beginning even before Friends started filming. In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew disclosed he had developed an early crush on his co-star and asked her out before the show began.
Although Jennifer declined his romantic advances, their friendship remained strong throughout the years. Matthew often acknowledged that Jennifer had been the cast member who "reached out the most" during his most difficult periods battling addiction.
During the height of his substance abuse struggles, Jennifer confronted him on set, telling him directly, "We know you're drinking." Matthew later described this to Diane Sawyer as a "scary moment" that ultimately helped him recognise he needed professional help, expressing gratitude for her intervention.
Final Conversations and Lasting Legacy
Jennifer shared that their final exchange was surprisingly light-hearted, telling Variety: "He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that's all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning. Funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn't struggling."
Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home in October 2023 at age 54. The official cause of death was ruled as the "acute effects of ketamine" with subsequent drowning in his hot tub.
Reflecting on his long battle with addiction, Jennifer told Vanity Fair: "We [the cast of Friends] did everything we could when we could. But it almost felt like we'd been mourning Matthew for a long time because his battle with that disease was a really hard one for him to fight. As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there's a part of me that thinks this is better. I'm glad that he's out of pain."
The actress also briefly discussed her famous character Rachel Green during the Elle interview, noting similarities between them despite different backgrounds: "I would probably say Rachel, except my family had no money growing up, and she did."
