‘Friends‘ actors David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry were not as intimate with each other as their characters were on screen. Schwimmer was therefore surprised to hear a “huge compliment” from his late co-star from an old podcast. ‘The Band of Brothers’ actor said that Matthew was not very open to him off-screen.
However, Matthew credited David’s help behind the camera as pivotal support to the other ‘Friends’ actors. David was honored to hear such high praise from his late friend, and an excellent actor, who passed away in October 2023 from an overdose of ketamine. Here’s what Perry said about Schwimmer and how the latter reacted to it.
“People Were Always Looking To You”: David Schwimmer Message To Late Matthew Perry
Appearing on Cush Jumbo’s podcast Origins, David Schwimmer chanced upon hearing an anecdote from the actress. ‘The Good Fight’ actor recalled talking with Perry on set, “I’m recalling talking to him about how I knew you a little bit but not very much at that stage, and I was talking to him about Commedia [dell’arte] and about physical comedy and all this stuff.”
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She continued asking, “I was saying, ‘Is David just someone who just does it? It just comes off of him?'” Cush then revealed Matthew’s reply to the question. “He talks about how it’s not out of control at all, that you’re a linchpin person in a scene — that mostly people were always looking to you to know physically what direction things should go in. That without you being the pin, the other things don’t work, which I thought was very, very complimentary and probably very true,” she said.
“Matthew Was Reserved With Me”: David Schwimmer Amazed Over The Late Actor’s Praise
Cush Jumbo brought a sweet memory of David Schwimmer’s late friend and he was clearly honored. He replied, “That’s interesting for many reasons, to hear that. That’s a huge compliment, and I’m surprised to hear it because Matthew was reserved with me, he would not say that to me. But I appreciate that a lot.”
Schwimmer recollected filming on ‘Friends’. “Yeah, I am one of the few in the cast who had a rigorous theater training, and so and in this way, in film or in anything that’s involving a stunt or anything physical, I think it’s got to be finely, carefully, choreographed, and I would work and work and work on any physical comedy in a scene.”
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David further tried to source Matthew’s praise, “I would meticulously structure and choreograph it, not only so that I never hurt myself or hurt anyone else, but that I could repeat it many, many, many, many times, so I think that’s what maybe he was referring to.”
He also took to Instagram to pay his respects to Perry. He wrote, “Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity…And you had heart. Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.”
