Lisa Kudrow Is Rewatching ‘Friends’ for Matthew Perry: ‘Celebrating How Hilarious He Was’

Lisa Kudrow is keeping Matthew Perry’s memory close by rewatching old episodes of Friends.

“Honestly, I wasn’t able to watch it because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself. But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s OK,” Kudrow, 60, told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, June 26. “And it’s just celebrating how hilarious he was — and that is what I want to remember [about him].”

While she’s watching the beloved sitcom — which debuted in 1994 and aired for 10 seasons — Kudrow said she’s “laughing out loud.” The actress, who played Phoebe Buffay in the hit series, noted that “everyone is hilarious.”

“I’m blown away by Courteney Cox. I’m blown away by Jen [Aniston]. Matthew, obviously, is just uniquely hilarious. No one ever knew that cadence or comedic rhythm before him. Matt LeBlanc is hilarious. And David Schwimmer, too. Sometimes I even laugh at what I’ve done,” Kudrow said. “So yeah, I mean, that’s my own little way of celebrating [the anniversaries], just watching it. But it’s embarrassing. At home, if anyone walks in the room and I’m watching Friends, that’s a horrible look, I think, don’t you?”

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While reminiscing about her time on the show, Kudrow recalled laughing with her costars, whom she called “funny people,” daily on set. She added, “Especially someone like Matthew whose goal was: How many laughs can I get in real life every day? So we were always laughing so hard, tears were flying out of our faces.”

When asked how she hopes Perry will be remembered, Kudrow said, “I think the world is remembering him the way he wanted to be remembered. I think that’s happening [already].”

News broke in October 2023 that Perry died at the age of 54. Months later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office announced his death was an accident caused by “the acute effects of ketamine.” The report listed drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine as other factors. Law enforcement officials are reportedly investigating where Perry sourced the ketamine.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” the Friends cast wrote in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. … For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

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Weeks later, Kudrow shared a personal statement expressing her grief.

“Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something you said, that my muscles ached, and tears poured down my face EVERY DAY. Thank you for your open heart in a six way relationship that required compromise,” she wrote. “And a lot of ‘talking.’ Thank you for showing up at work when you weren’t well and then, being completely brilliant. Thank you for the best 10 years a person gets to have. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for all I learned about GRACE and LOVE through knowing you. Thank you for the time I got to have with you, Matthew.”