Jennifer Aniston doesn’t see a world where the Friends cast could have a reunion without Matthew Perry.
“It would be literally, physically impossible,” Aniston, 56, said of doing a potential Friends revival or remake without Perry in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar published on Wednesday, October 8.
Perry died of an accidental ketamine overdose at age 54 in October 2023. Before his tragic passing, the actor was candid about his struggles with depression and substance abuse.
“It’s heartbreaking that he had so many demons,” Aniston reflected on her late costar. “But boy, for someone who had that much inner turmoil, he sure got to laugh a lot, and that was everything to him.”
Everything the ‘Friends’ Cast Has Said About the Death of Matthew Perry
Aniston and Perry starred on Friends alongside Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc. The beloved comedy ran for 10 seasons before it wrapped up in 2004.
“Friends completely formed who I was,” Aniston told the outlet about how much the series meant to her. “It was pure joy. I looked forward to it every day.”
She added it was the bond between her and her castmates that made Friends so special.
“There’s something about the chemistry of the cast that made for a lightning-in-a-bottle moment,” she reflected. “And that just happened to get caught on camera.”
Friends has received a resurgence in recent years thanks to streaming, as a new generation of fans has binged the show. Aniston gushed about how inspiring it is to hear that Friends has become people’s comfort show.
“People will say that they go back and watch episodes to help their mental health – that if they’re stressed about the news or the world, they’ll just sit down and watch a Friends episode,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “And that’s the ultimate compliment.”
After being off the air for nearly two decades, the Friends cast reunited in 2021 for an HBO Max special titled Friends: The Reunion. The whole group revisited the set and looked back on filming the series. It was Perry’s final on-screen appearance.
When news broke of Perry’s death in October 2023, his former costars released a joint statement reacting to his death.
Jennifer Aniston Says It ‘Is Better’ That Matthew Perry Is No Longer in Pain
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” the Friends cast said in a joint statement to Us Weekly. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will continue to 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.”
Perry’s castmates all attended his funeral alongside his loved ones the following month. The service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills neighborhood, which is near the Warner Bros. Studios where Friends was filmed.
After processing the tragic loss, Aniston, Cox, LeBlanc, Kudrow and Schwimmer all shared personal tributes honoring Perry.
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox, who played Perry’s love interest on the show, wrote via Instagram in November 2023. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here’s one of my favorites.”
