“I will always smile when I think of you”

Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry weren’t just roommates and best friends as their “Friends” characters – the actors were also close confidants in real life. After Perry died on October 29th at the age of 54, his colleague is now speaking out and paying a final tribute to his friend.

“It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye. “The time we spent together was honestly one of the best times in my life,” the actor wrote in an Instagram post on November 14th. The post includes some show moments as well as photos from backstage. “It was an honor to share the stage with you and call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I will never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly, brother, you are finally free. Lots of love,” LeBlanc continues. To give the comedian credit, the actor ends by adding a joke: “And I guess you keep the 20 bucks you owe me.”

The personal social media post follows an official statement from the “Friends” main cast, which they submitted to the US magazine “People”. In it, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer explained that they were “more than just fellow actors. We were a family.” “There is so much to say, but for now we will take time to grieve and process this unimaginable loss,” the statement said.

Matthew Perry was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles mansion on October 29th. An exact cause of death is not yet known. In the official death certificate, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health listed the reason on the death certificate as “postponed” after an initial autopsy found no signs of meth or fentanyl in his body. A final judgment is expected to be published in “four to six months”.