The cast of Friends has broken their silence following the “unfathomable loss” of their beloved castmate Matthew Perry.
In a joint statement released to PEOPLE on Monday, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow honored the late actor, saying:
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. 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."
The statement continued:
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Fans on social media expressed they, too, were heartbroken.
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright also issued a joint statement on Sunday.
It read:
“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing."
“It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent.”
“It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.”
“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment — not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
Their statement finished:
“We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
The actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, and his death was confirmed by Capt. Scot Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department’s robbery-homicide division. He was 54.
The cause of death is pending further investigation.
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