Marta Kauffman and David Crane say there is 'so much sadness' after the actor's death
Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane are sharing their thoughts and memories of the late actor Matthew Perry during an emotional interview on Today. Hoda Kotb delved into their last conversations with Perry, his battle with addiction, and the impact he had on the lives of those around him as well as fans.
Kauffman began by revealing that she had last spoken to Perry just two weeks before his untimely death. During their final conversation, she said Perry seemed full of life.
"He was happy and chipper," Kauffman recalled. "He didn’t seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair."
She added, "He seemed better than I had seen in a while. I was so thrilled to see that. He was emotionally in a good place. He looked good. He quit smoking."
When asked if he was sober when she last spoke to him, Kauffman said, "Yes, he was sober. He learned things throughout this, and what he learned more than anything is he wants to help other addicts, and it gave him purpose."
Kauffman admitted she was overcome with sadness upon hearing of Perry's death.
"I was just in utter shock. You know my first impulse was to text him, honestly, and then deep sadness, so much sadness," she said. "It’s hard to grasp, you know. One minute he’s here and happy, and then poof, and doing good in the world, really doing good in the world."
Kotb brought up a previous statement made by Perry, where he said, "People would be shocked about his passing but not surprised." Crane shared his thoughts, acknowledging that Perry's journey was well-documented, and there was always a sense of concern, but it was still hard to believe that he was gone.
"Given the journey he was on, and we were all aware of it, there was always a part that was always bracing for something like this, but it's still hard to believe. He was such a sort of alive person, that it’s hard to believe he’s not here," he said.
Kotb inquired about whether Perry was aware of the impact he had on people. "I mean, given the response to the show [Friends] and the last 30 years, I’m sure he did, but at the same time, I wonder, and even know how much he was able to internalize it and find comfort in it."
The discussion then shifted to Perry's well-documented struggles with addiction, which he spoke candidly about in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. Kauffman confirmed that they had talked to him about his substance abuse and sobriety, especially after the Friends reunion in 2021.
"Very. Very aware. Talked to him about it, talked to him about it actually right after the reunion," Kauffman said. "Once he went into treatment, he was open about it, unless he was using."
Kotb asked if Kaufmann was concerned about him during the reunion.
"Yes, I was concerned about him. Knowing that he had been through everything he’d been through, and every time he had surgery they are giving him opioids for pain, and the cycle starts over again," she said. "So yes, I was concerned about what point in the cycle he was in at that moment."
Kotb mentioned the Friends cast referring to themselves as a family, and asked Crane about the stars' "blood relationship."
"You know, you put six actors together on a show, and you don’t know what the chemistry between them is going to be as people, as actors. Since day one, the six of them, it absolutely, you could tell they were going to be a family, and we all were," Crane expressed. "And in 10 years you do go through a lot. There’s a journey on screen and off screen, and when you talk about Matthew, we were all very aware that our priority was supporting him."
On Monday, Perry's five main Friends co-stars -- Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer -- released a joint statement.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," their statement read. "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," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
The message was signed by Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc and Schwimmer.
Perry had expressed his desire to be remembered for helping people, not just for being on Friends. "That doesn’t surprise me that as important as the show was and continues to be, that absolutely became his purpose, his reason for being," Crane said.
When asked what Kauffman lost the day Perry died, she shared, "I lost a friend in multiple ways. What’s amazing is the outpouring from the fans who lost a friend of theirs too, and I hope wherever he is, he feels it."
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 28. He was 54. The actor is survived by his parents, John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison.
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