The audience at the Emmy Awards this year got teary-eyed during the touching tribute offered to ‘Friends‘ star Matthew Perry who died last year of a Ketamine overdose. The In Memoriam segment featured a photo montage set to the tune of the Friends theme song, ‘I’ll Be There For You’ during the tribute.
Though it has been several months since Perry died, his death has left fans and the industry grappling with grief. While the tribute was to celebrate Perry’s contribution to entertainment, his ‘Friends‘ co-stars including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer were notably absent from the special segment. But it was not without a reason.
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Why Did The Entire ‘Friends’ Cast Skip Matthew Perry’s Emmys Tribute?
Matthew Perry’s death is still fresh in the minds of fans across the globe. As unreal as it sounded when it happened on October 28, 2023, Perry leaving the world so soon is a sad reality that is still extremely difficult for many to digest. And his ‘Friends‘ co-stars are no exception to this struggle.
Emmys executive producer Jeannae Rouzan-Clay was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter when she clarified why the ‘Friends’ cast was not a part of the touching Emmys tribute for the late star. “It’s still very fresh for them,” he said, asserting that the loss of Perry still remains a sensitive subject for them.
Another executive producer Jesse Collins said that though the Emmys planning team had considered involving the Friends cast, they later decided it might be too soon for them. “But I can imagine, from their side, they’re mourning someone who was still very close to them,” Collins said. “I can’t speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon.”
The producers also said that they intended to ensure that the In Memoriam segment recognized all fallen stars equitably. “Yes, Norman Lear and Matthew Perry, you have to give some special attention to, but you don’t want anyone to feel slighted,” Collins said. “Everybody’s contribution was significant, and this is their moment inside this package.”
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Perry’s ‘Friends’ Castmates Are Still Grappling With Grief
Though they did not participate in the Emmy tribute, Perry’s ‘Friends’ castmates paid touching tributes on social media after his sudden death on October 28, 2023. This one has cut deep… Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” Jennifer Aniston wrote in an Instagram post.
“For Matty, he KNEW he loved to make people laugh,” Aniston continued. “As he said himself, if he didn’t hear the ‘’laugh’ he thought he was going to die. His life literally depended on it. And boy did he succeed in doing just that. He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard.”
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Courtney Cox wrote on Instagram. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share.”
Perry’s other co-stars including Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer also took to social media to express their grief. Apart from the ‘Friends’ cast and crew, a number of other celebrities mourned his death on social media, asserting their love and appreciation for Perry as a human being, friend, and actor.
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