The event ought to have been a reason for joyous celebration. Instead, the actors of "Friends" spent the show's thirtieth anniversary paying tribute to their late co-star, Matthew Perry.
He appeared on the show for ten seasons, beginning in 1994 and ending in 2004, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.
According to an autopsy report that was conducted in December 2023, Perry passed away in October 2023 at the age of 54 as a result of "acute effects" of ketamine and other variables that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, Reuters reported.
The actor has admitted in public that he had been abusing substances for decades, even throughout the years that he played the role of Chandler Bing on the popular television sitcom "Friends."
Ketamine is a legitimate but off-label therapy for depression that the actor had been utilizing through his regular doctor. It is becoming an increasingly prevalent treatment for depression, as per NPR. When Perry's doctor refused to give him more ketamine, he started looking for even more.
In a normal situation, Aniston would have invited Cox, Kudrow, Schwammer, LeBlanc, and, of course, Perry to her house to reminisce about the good old days, according to a source.
However, the source told Life & Style Magazine that "they all felt it was too soon after Matthew's passing. "It's still a shock to everyone that he's not here."
However, the actors ended up communicating with one another, and there was a group conversation, according to the insider.
"They talked about Matthew and shared stories from the set — the best times, the worst times and some things they've never even told each other."
When the first episode of "Friends" aired on September 22, 1994, the cast had no idea how much the sitcom would go on to become a family favorite. The fans have been pleading for a remake for years and even proposed a series that would focus on the characters' children.
"It's hard to try to redo anything,” Courteney said. "Anything with ‘re’ in front of it with this group... I think it's so special."
Fans will, however, be able to participate in a memorial game show called "Fast Friends," in which they will compete against one another in various challenges on a set that is a reproduction of the original structure. Production is scheduled to start in October of this year.
