Friends director says cast were 'destroyed' by 'brother' Matthew Perry's death

02 November 2023 , 18:52

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Friends director says cast were 'destroyed' by 'brother' Matthew Perry's death

Friends director James Burrows has said that the cast of the hit American sitcom were completely "destroyed" by Matthew Perry's death following the tragic news of the beloved star's passing.

Over the weekend it was revealed that 54-year-old beloved Chandler Bing actor, Matthew, was found dead in his Los Angeles home after he reportedly drowned in his hot tub. The news emerged after a call to emergency services was made about a cardiac arrest. Matthew was then later found dead at the scene.

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James has spoken out following the tragic death of Matthew Perry (TODAY)

At the time, it was reported that no drugs were discovered at the scene and there was no indication of foul play. It was then later revealed that initial toxicology tests did not show any fentanyl or meth in Matthew's system at the time of death.

And now, speaking out about the sad news of Matthew's passing, James Burrows, who directed Friends has spoken out. Speaking with NBC’s Liz Kreutz for Today on Thursday, the TV director spoke of the "utter shock" he felt when learning of Matthew's death.

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Speaking to Liz, James said: "I texted the girls the day we found out and they destroyed. It was a brother dying."

Matthew Perry was found dead at his home in LA last weekend (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

He went on to add: "It's so sad. I want him to be remembered as a wonderful actor, a funny man and a wonderful friend to a lot of people."

This comes after Matthew's former co-stars from Friends came together to write a joint statement following his passing. Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer spoke of how they were all "so utterly devastated" in the statement.

Speaking to People Magazine, the five pals said: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. 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."

Mollie Quirk