James Burrows, who directed the first four episodes of the once-hit NBC series, also speaks on 'Today' about Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow's reaction to the devastating news.
- Nov 3, 2023
AceShowbiz - "Friends" director James Burrows is another of Matthew Perry's friends and colleagues who have been greatly affected by his sudden passing. The director has admitted that he needed "a couple of days" to process the devastating news.
Speaking for an interview on "Today" on Thursday, November 2, Burrows said, "I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in." He added, "He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of the family anymore."
During the sit-down, Burrows, who directed the first four episodes of the long-running NBC sitcom, said that upon hearing the news of Perry's death, he reached out to some of the show's cast members, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. Of their reaction, he spilled, "I had texted the girls the day we found out. They were destroyed. It's a brother dying."
Burrows couldn't help but gush over Perry's performance in his iconic role as Chandler Bing. "He was incredibly inventive. He was inventive with how he did a line," he recalled. "He was really funny. He was a little awkward, too. Chandler was awkward. And Matthew was awkward. So it was a perfect, perfect meld."
Speaking of Perry's lifelong struggles with addiction and alcoholism, Burrows said, "We were so proud of him these last couple of years that he was making a remarkable recovery." He went on sharing his hope that the late actor will be remembered "as a wonderful actor, a funny man and a dear friend to a lot of people."
Perry was found unconscious in jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 28 after playing pickleball for 2 hours. While the cause of death has not been confirmed, police have ruled out foul play and fentanyl or meth overdose.
On Monday, October 30, the "Friends" cast, including Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc, spoke on Perry's death in a joint statement. "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss," they said.
"In time we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued to read, "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
