Fox now also says about his friend Perry: “I’m glad I influenced him.”
After Matthew Perry died on October 29th at the age of 54, many celebrities have paid tribute to the actor in recent weeks. Now the mime Michael J. Fox also shared some of his memories of the “Friends” actor with the public.
At his annual A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Cure Parkinson’s Gala benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Canadian actor opened up to ET about his friendship with Perry. “Matthew and I had spent some time together over the years,” Fox said. “He was a hockey player, a good hockey player, and we played hockey together.”
A generous donation
When it comes to Fox’s foundation, Perry also did his part. After he and his five “Friends” colleagues signed their series contracts, the actor donated a large amount to support research into Parkinson’s disease. “I hope this isn’t indiscreet…But when they made their first big sales [mit ihren ‚Friends‘-Verträgen] and became millionaires for the rest of their lives, he wrote a big fat check to the foundation,” Fox said, appreciating the deceased’s gesture. “We were just starting out, trying to find our roots. And that was such a vote of confidence.” The 62-year-old added that his friend didn’t donate as “self-glorification” – he just wanted to say: “Take it and do your best.”
Fox was a source of inspiration for Perry
The appreciation of the work probably came from both sides. On the occasion of Matthew Perry’s memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing”, which he published in November 2022, the actor sat down for a public conversation with Tom Power in Toronto. He also explained the influence that the “Back to the Future” actor had on his acting development and comedic timing. “I was young, I had done a few plays in school, and Michael J. Fox was the star. “When I was in ninth grade, Michael J. Fox had just done ‘Back to the Future’ and I had smoke coming out of my ears because I was so jealous of this guy,” Perry said in an interview. “And he had the number one TV show and the number one movie at the same time! So he was huge. “I don’t know anyone else who’s done it – except me,” he joked at the end.
When Fox learned that he was also a source of inspiration for Perry, he said: “He was just a funny guy, and if I was ever as funny as him – I mean, he was the funniest – I’m glad I was him influenced. He was a funny guy.”
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”.