‘Friends’ cast’s first texts about Matthew Perry’s death revealed: ‘Destroyed’
The “Friends” cast immediately took to text following the tragic death of their co-star Matthew Perry.
Director Jim Burrows, who helmed more than a dozen episodes of “Friends,” revealed the details in a new interview with “Today,” which was released Thursday.
“I had texted the girls the day we found out,” he said. “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
Perry died at age 54, apparently of drowning, at his California home on Saturday. He was found underwater and was unresponsive before first responders arrived.
The late actor’s autopsy is complete, but a coroner ordered more tests — including for toxicology, which can take months. His cause of death is still “deferred.”
TMZ reported on Wednesday that investigators ran a less-in-depth test on the actor that revealed he did not have fentanyl or meth in his system at the time of his death.
A source also told TMZ that prescription medications were recovered and will be part of the review, as is common practice. Foul play is not suspected.
Perry was best known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends” for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. On Thursday, Burrows called Perry “incredibly inventive.
“He was inventive with how he did a line,” he said. “The reading [scripts] around the table. Matthew had a certain way of turning a line.”
Perry’s death was a shock to Burrows, who said he needed “a couple of days to just let it soak in.
“He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore,” he told “Today.” The director continued, “He was really funny. He was a little awkward, too. Chandler was awkward. And Matthew was awkward. So it was a perfect, perfect meld.”
Perry struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years, but was sober in the last few years. He had also reportedly stopped smoking and was looking forward to what was ahead.
“We were so proud of him these last couple of years that he was making a remarkable recovery,” Burrows said, calling his passing “so sad.”
He added that he hopes the late star is remembered as “a wonderful actor, a funny man and a dear friend to a lot of people.”
