The actors shared the screen in Perry's 1988 film debut, 'A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.'
Say Anything star Ione Skye is adding her voice to a chorus of tributes to the late Matthew Perry. As remembrances of the Friends actor continue to pour in across social media, Skye is revealing a very recent conversation she shared with her former co-star.
"My last exchange a week ago. I’m very very sad. Loved this guy," Skye captioned an Instagram post, which featured a throwback photo in which her arm is draped affectionately over Perry's shoulder as the two lean together and smile for the camera. Skye previously worked with Perry on his feature film debut, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, which was released in 1988 and starred River Phoenix in the titular role.
In their text exchange, which was dated Oct. 15, it was Perry who reached out first.
"Hi! I hope all is well," he began. "I was meditating (I meditate now) and 'In [Your] Eyes' started playing. And I instantly thought of you and how beautiful you are."
Perry is referring, of course, to the iconic scene between Skye and John Cusack in the 1989 film Say Anything, in which the latter hoists a boombox over his head in an epic romantic gesture while playing the Peter Gabriel hit.
"Awe. I love that. Xo," Skye replied.
Perry continued the chat, adding, "Hope you are healthy and happy."
"Yes I am both. I think!" Skye wrote back. "Good to hear from you. I only have nice memories with you."
The conversation concludes with Perry reminiscing, "Me too. That one afternoon, I was just sitting in my apartment, and there you were!"
Perry died on Saturday at the age of 54. According to The Los Angeles Times, the actor was found dead in a hot tub.
In a November 2022 interview on the Q with Tom Power podcast, the actor who portrayed Chandler Bing for 10 years on Friends said he would like to be known not just -- or even firstly -- for his work on the Emmy-winning NBC show, but for who he was as a person.
"I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker," Perry told the audience during the live podcast taping.
In the same sit-down, the Go On star said his proudest accomplishment is not the show that skyrocketed him to fame in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the fellow recovering drug addicts and alcoholics who he has been able to help through their journeys.
"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. "And I've said this for a long time: when I die, I don't want Friends to be the first thing that's mentioned — I want that to be the first thing that's mentioned. And I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that."
"And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people," Perry said of how he hopes people talk about him after his death. "That's what I want."
At the time, the actor was promoting his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which was released in 2022. In the book, Perry talked openly about his time on Friends and his years of struggling with substance abuse.
On Sunday, Perry's family released a statement mourning their loss.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," the unnamed family members said in their statement to People. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend."
Thanking those who have honored Perry's life and legacy, the statement continued, "You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
Perry never married but was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz for six months in 2021. He is survived by his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, and his father, John Bennett Perry.
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