“Could saying goodbye be any more difficult?” wrote one of Matthew Perry’s fans with a black sharpie outside the iconic apartment in New York City’s West Village. On Sunday, a downpour of fans was spotted outside the Friends building to honor everyone’s beloved Chandler Bing. The show and its loyal fans have immortalized the late actor in a historic tribute.
“All I knew is that whenever I had big feelings, I could pop in a VHS boxset of a given season in the VCR and not just feel okay, but even laugh,” read another note. The crowds of people flocked to the corner of Grove Street and Bedford Street and paid their last respects to the 54-year-old troubled actor.
Despite the unfavorable weather, fans, and well-wishers paid homage to the Friends alum with dozens of flower bouquets and handmade signs with phrases expressing their love for Perry and reflecting the void his absence has created in the hearts of millions of people. They ensured he “felt” their unconditional love up in the heavens.
Another handwritten note read, ” Friends was the answer and solution for my anxiety before I even had a word for that feeling.” And we couldn’t agree more. The show ran for ten seasons- with a pilot episode broadcasted on September 22, 1994, with its final run on May 6, 2004. The show’s stellar cast became a household name in no time.
Friends was one of its kind, and it witnessed unprecedented international fame. Perry’s character, Chandler, received so much love from the viewers, and consequently, his loss is, in fact, irreplaceable. Like his family and his co-actors, his fans also couldn’t contain their anguish.
“As reliable as a true friend, 20 years later, Friends is still my comfort show,” read another sign. It continued, “Thank you, Matty, for making me feel peace and joy from middle school to my mid-thirties.” One fan, who traveled from Los Angeles, 31-year-old Aimee Sanchez, explained what Perry meant to her.
Sanchez explained, “We saw that there was all these people bringing flowers, and we wanted to visit before going home,” reported The Independent . She landed in New York hours before the news of Perry’s death broke out in the media. She continued, “It was really sad. I cried.”
The fan elaborated, “Whenever I’m nervous, or I just feel stressed, I always go back to the show, and that’s why I’ve watched it so many times. It’s my comfort show.” It’s been nearly 20 years since the show went off-air. However, the characters are etched into the hearts and minds of people and transcended generations, to put it mildly.
An emotional fan teared up and said she wasn’t even born when the show began its journey. However, she claimed, “It [The show] kind of saved my life.” Friends aired in over 100 countries and was dubbed into numerous languages. After Perry was found unresponsive in his hot tub, he was declared dead by alleged drowning.
Warner Bros Television Group, which produced the show, released a statement: “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry,” adding, “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family,” reported CBS News.
It continued, “This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.” A 24-year-old fan, Khimmy Pobrarp, said, “Before, we were just laughing at it, and now it’s all going to be different after this.”
And the world felt its ripple effects.