October 28, 2023, was the day of a devastating tragedy and an enormous loss for humanity. Matthew Perry’s body was found by the police officers in the jacuzzi of his own home in Los Angeles. Perry has brought joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world thanks to his flawless comedy and sharp wit, but none were as close to knowing the real Matthew as the cast of Friends.
Throughout the ten seasons that this ragtag group of individuals were playing friends on screen, they all bonded together and became BFFs at the end.
Among all other relationships, Matthew and Jennifer shared a unique bond that extended well beyond their roles. In fact, this remarkable connection was established way before their iconic portrayals of Chandler and Rachel. It all began when the two were introduced to each other through a mutual friend a few years before the Friends aired. Ever since then, it was evident that Matthew held Jenn in high regard. Don’t worry, their relationship didn’t have a romantic bone in it, but not for the lack of trying. Instead, it blossomed into something even more profound later on.
As you may know, behind the scenes, Perry was fighting a cruel battle against substance abuse and addiction for decades. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Matthew told everyone about the pivotal role that Jennifer Aniston played in his life. He openly expressed his gratitude for her unwavering support, saying that she was the one who reached out to him the most. It just shows how genuine their friendship was and how it helped Perry when he was at his lowest.
You can’t really talk about the bond between Jennifer and Matthew without addressing why they never even tried dating. According to an interview Perry gave to The Independent, he did have a massive crush on Aniston when they first met. The actor also mentioned in his 2022 memoir that the attraction was instantaneous. Well, at least from his side. But who could blame this guy?
Perry was trying to impress the young actress by recounting all the cool movies he starred in and then asked her out on a date. Back then, Aniston wasn’t looking for a new relationship and declined the offer as politely as possible. Remaining “just friends” wasn’t what Perry was hoping to hear, but he got over it and moved on, only to find out three years later that Jennifer and him will be castmates on Friends. It wasn’t easy at first, kind of awkward, but eventually, Perry was thankful he had such a great friend in her.
Perry’s substance abuse was the only thing that helped the actor stay focused on the set, but the ugly side of such a lifestyle quickly came to light. Despite Perry being miserable, Aniston was always there for him and was always honest and open with him. This one time, when Matthew was in his dressing room, Jennifer came in like a hurricane and told the actor that everyone on the set could smell his booze breath. After that devastating incident, Perry swore never to drink on the job again. To her credit, she didn’t even know how to address this issue properly, and it all worked out.
In the coming years, Matthew kept fighting the dragon and even going to rehab, but throughout all these challenges, Jennifer was always checking up on him long after the Friends finale.
As of October 31, Jennifer Aniston has not made any public comments about Mathew Perry’s tragic death, aside from being a part of a group message from the entire cast. But that’s understandable since, as you can see, the two were basically family. Everyone mourns in their own way.
Rest in peace, Matthew. You will truly be missed.