Lisa Kudrow has revealed she recently discovered an old note from her late Friends co-star Matthew Perry, which he’d left in a cookie jar he gave her from the show’s set.
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the seminal sitcom, died on October 28, 2023 from the “acute effects of ketamine” at the age of 54.
During a Tuesday (January 7) appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Kudrow, 61, spoke about the jar, saying: “Matthew gave that to me at the end of our last episode.
“And I had recently found the note that he had in it for me,” she added. “I hadn’t opened it up or looked inside of it. But yeah, he did. He had a note in there and I forgot about it. Timing’s everything.”
Following Perry’s tragic death, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Kudrow released a joint statement, saying that they were “utterly devastated.” “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” they said.
In a separate Instagram post, Kudrow, who starredas the lovable and easy-going Phoebe Buffay, honored Perry, writing: “Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise. And a lot of ‘talking.’”
In 2021, the cast reunited on screen for the first time since the 10-season show celebrated its series finale in 2004, having become a pop culture phenomenon.
After Perry’s death, an investigation unearthed a “broad underground criminal network” of people who “took advantage” of Perry when he fell back into addiction in autumn 2023, prosecutor Martin Estrada said at a press briefing last year.
Perry had been seeking treatment for depression and anxiety when he became addicted to intravenous ketamine, turning to “unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make quick money,” Estrada said.
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The actor was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction, setting up a sober living facility for men with similar issues.
In the wake of his death, a foundation was set up in his name to help those struggling with addiction.
Five people were charged in connection with his death in August last year, including two doctors, the supplier and an acquaintance of Perry.
Additional reporting by the Press Association.