'Friends' Director Reveals The Initial Texts of the Cast and Crew Following Matthew Perry’s Passing

In a somber turn of events, the tight-knit Friends cast has been grappling with the tragic death of their beloved co-star, Matthew Perry. Director Jim Burrows, who directed numerous episodes of the iconic sitcom, shared in a recent interview with Today that he immediately reached out to the female cast members, "I had texted the girls the day we found out. They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying," when they came across the mind-numbing news.

The cast and crew had a strong relationship with each other as they worked for years together in the hit sitcom. The familiarity and bond between the cast was also apparent on screen as they were a closely knit group of friends. “He was inventive with how he did a line. The reading [scripts] around the table. Matthew had a certain way of turning a line,” Burrows shared as he talked about Perry's dedication to the character of Chandler Bing. 

Recalling the old days the director said, "He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore. He was really funny. He was a little awkward, too. Chandler was awkward. And Matthew was awkward. So it was a perfect, perfect meld.” Despite the passing of several days since Perry's death, the cause remains shrouded in uncertainty. An autopsy report suggested no traces of meth in Perry's body however a full report would take around four to six months.

In the wake of Perry's passing, his Friends co-stars expressed their profound grief through a joint statement. The statement per PEOPLE read, "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." It further read, "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."

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, released just a year before his passing, Perry peeled back the layers of his life, revealing the toll of going in and out of rehab, even amidst the pinnacle of Friends fame. The actor disclosed spending a staggering $7 million, later revised to $9 million, on treatments and surgeries in his relentless pursuit of sobriety. In an interview with The New York Times, Perry candidly shared the magnitude of his journey, stating, "I've been in a mental institution, gone to therapy twice a week for thirty years, been to death's door." Despite the financial toll, Perry emphasized that the creative experience of being on Friends and the substantial earnings likely saved his life.