13 January 2024 , 12:57
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Matthew Perry spoke very highly about his Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston and even admitted to having a big crush on her.
The 54-year-old actor died at the age of 54 back in October, with his cause of death ruled an accident from the acute effects of ketamine. In recent days, Matthew has faced allegations that he "assaulted women", including his ex-fiancée Molly Hurwitz. Amid the allegations, Jennifer was seen attending the AFI Awards Luncheon in Los Angeles.
Despite Matthew and Jennifer sharing a close friendship over the years, there were times when the relationship became tense. Matthew previously admitted he struggled to work with the actress after she rejected him.
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Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston were close friends (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
They worked together on Friends (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)Following the news of Matthew's death, Jennifer reflected on her last conversation with the actor. She insisted he was doing well in his personal life before he was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
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"He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that's all I know," she said in an interview with Variety. "I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn't struggling."
Jennifer said Matthew had "worked so hard" to overcome his addiction to drugs. She said he was focusing on his health in the years before he died.
Secret crush
The actor asked his friend to go on a date (Getty Images)
She declined (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)Matthew and Jennifer first crossed paths three years before they started filming for Friends. In his memoir, Matthew revealed he was "immediately taken by her".
He said he "liked her, and I got the sense she was intrigued, too." At the time, Matthew received the happy news that he was cast in two projects. Jennifer was the first person he called to share the news with.
He admitted to making her believe he "liked her too much or in the wrong kind of way", but that didn't stop him from asking her on a date. Jennifer turned him down, but they managed to stay close friends.
Struggles at work
Matthew Perry played Chandler Bing in Friends (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)Despite their friendship, Matthew admitted he struggled to work with Jennifer on the set of Friends. The actor starred on the hit sitcom as Chandler Bing, with Jennifer playing Rachel Green.
The tension started after Matthew admitted he had a massive crush on his friend, which became awkward when she rejected him. In his memoir, Matthew said he came across in the "wrong kind of way" and made matters worse by asking Jennifer out on a date.
He wrote: "She declined (which made it very difficult to actually go out with her), but said that she'd love to be friends with me, and I compounded the compound by blurting, 'We can't be friends!'"
Matthew continued: "Fairly early in the making of Friends I realised that I was still crushing badly on Jennifer Aniston. Our hellos and goodbyes became awkward. And then I'd ask myself, 'How long can I look at her? Is three seconds too long?'"
Sweet nickname
Matthew had a special nickname for Jennifer (Archive Photos)
The actor revealed it in his memoir (Getty Images)It's no secret that Matthew was very fond of Jennifer and he often praised her for continually checking in on him while he was struggling. Jennifer even made it into Matthew's memoir, which was released in November 2022.
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In the book, Matthew revealed the sweet nickname he used for his pal, referring to her affectionately as "Jenny". In the memoir, titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew detailed his decades-long struggle with alcoholism and addiction.
In an interview about the book in October 2022, Matthew praised Jennifer. "She was the one that reached out the most. You know, I'm really grateful to her for that," he told Diane Sawyer.