The death of Matthew Perry was shocking and unexpected. The Friends actor passed away on October 28, 2023 due to a ketamine overdose, and despite the actor having publicly expressed his battle with addiction, the news moved people around the world, as Perry had played one of the favorite characters on the famous sitcom ‘Friends’, Chandler Bing.

One of the most notable relationships was that of Chandler and Monica, having the longest romantic relationship on the show, spanning six years from the end of Season 4 to the end of Season 10.

 

Courteney Cox, his on-screen wife, fondly remembered her friend in a recent interview and stated that Matthew remains present in her daily life.

“He visits me a lot, if we believe in that,” Courteney told CBS Sunday Morning. “I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that guide us. I sense Matthew’s around for sure.”

She also explained how much the cast of Friends, meant to her, stating that she was grateful she had the opportunity to work with Matthew alongside with Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc in one of the most popular television shows of all time.

“That was my family. We went through everything. Those 10 years were everything.” Courteney said.

 

‘the one with the late thanksgiving’, (season 10, epis. #226), 1994-2004, © warner bros. / courtesy: everett collection
Cox’s character, Monica Geller, began a relationship with Matthew’s Chandler Bing during season four that continued until the series ended in 2004. This couple started out as a secret because the producers were unsure of how the other characters would react to this unusual couple, and what initially was just a few episodes of Monica and Chandler’s secret  developed genuine chemistry.

“I think he’s probably one of the funniest human beings in the world,” she continued. “He is genuinely a huge heart—obviously struggled. I’m so thankful I got to work so closely with him for so many years.”

Matthew Perry’s cause of death

Shortly after Matthew Perry’s death at age 54, she also shared some words:

“When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share,” she wrote alongside a clip of the duo filming their first scene together as a couple in November Instagram post. “To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story.”

Courteney added of Matthew in the post, “He was funny and he was kind.”

The Los Angeles County medical examiner explained on December 15 that Matthew died under “the acute effects of Ketamine,” used to treat depression and anxiety. However, other factors triggered this tragedy such as drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

The doctor revealed that Perry, a week before dying, underwent Ketamine infusion therapy, although he would have ingested this later, since, the expert noted, the remains of this medication have a life of 3 to 4 hours. The amounts of the substance found in his system was similar to those administered to a hospital patient under general anesthetic.