“Friends” star Matt LeBlanc posted a touching tribute to the late Matthew Perry, making him the first of the castmates to publicly address Perry’s death.
The cast of “Friends” has long been known for their friendships both on and off the set of the show, but fellow castmates Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow have been largely silent since Perry’s Oct. 28 death.
“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” LeBlanc wrote to his Instagram page on Tuesday. The star shared a carousel of images of himself alongside Perry on the set of “Friends.”
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LeBlanc went on to share some sweet memories of his time working alongside Perry on the set of the iconic television series.
“The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life,” he wrote. “It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”
He went on to express his sorrow and the lasting impression that Perry had on his life.
“I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.”
Perry was candid about his long struggle with addiction, and had seemingly cleaned up his life in the months leading up to his passing. LeBlanc touched on the topic by sharing some loving words in his tribute.
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“Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love,” he wrote to his Instagram page. (RELATED: Matthew Perry Apparently Went To Writers To Cut ‘Cheating’ Storyline, ‘Friends’ Guest Star Says)
Perry played the role of Chandler on “Friends,” opposite LeBlanc, who played his best friend, “Joey.” Chandler was always known as “the funny one” — a characteristic that LeBlanc sprinkled into the words he posted about his friend.
“And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me,” he wrote jokingly at the end of his message.
Perry was found dead at the age of 54 in his residential hot tub. His cause of death will be confirmed pending the results of a toxicology report.
The “Friends” cast released a joint statement on Oct. 30.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” they said. “We 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,” they wrote.