Actor Matthew Perry was buried during a private funeral on Friday following his unexpected death last week.
The ceremony took place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, which is near Warner Bros. Studios, reports say. Other notable figures were also laid to rest at the same cemetery, including Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Walker, and Nipsey Hussle.
Perry’s "friends," Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, all attended the services, a source told People Magazine. The ceremony lasted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. PST. The six actors were known to have a close bond and even reunited in 2021 for a televised special.
Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, Schwimmer, and LeBlanc took time to speak out following the news of their friend’s passing. They released a joint statement to People on Monday, two days after Perry’s death.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," the statement read. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. 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 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 died on Oct. 28 at the age of 54 in an apparent drowning. Multiple reports confirm he was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles residence’s hot tub around 4 p.m. after playing two hours of pickleball that morning. Emergency personnel responded to calls of an apparent cardiac arrest.
Perry was perhaps best known for his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends.” But he was also an advocate for those battling addiction and was candid about his own struggles with the disease.
Perry wanted to be remembered not just for the character he played on television but for his commitment to helping others get sober.
"The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can't stop drinking; can you help me?' I can say yes and follow up and do it," Perry said on the “Q with Tom Power” podcast in November 2022. "It's the best thing."
"I've said this for a long time; when I die, I don't want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that's mentioned," he said. “I want that to be the first thing that's mentioned, and I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that.
It appears Perry’s legacy will live on. An organization established in his name, The Matthew Perry Foundation, was announced last week and went live online Friday. Its mission is to help those struggling with addiction.
An official cause of death has yet to be determined, but TMZ reported no illicit drugs were found on the premises where Perry died, though some prescription medications were found. A full toxicology report could take up to six months to complete, but initial tests show no evidence of a methamphetamine or fentanyl overdose, TMZ said.
