Tom Selleck Pays Tribute to ‘Friends’ Co-Star Matthew Perry: ‘He Was Pure Talent’

Chandler Bing and Richard Burke had a nuanced dynamic on “Friends,” but off-screen, actors Matthew Perry and Tom Selleck enjoyed a strong working relationship. Three months after Matthew Perry’s tragic passing at 54, Tom Selleck, now 79, reflected on their time together in a recent interview with USA Today.

“He was raw talent,” Tom remarked. “Matthew’s gone, so it’s easy to say this, but it’s true. I think he was the most talented among a very talented group of people.”

Tom reminisced about the impact Perry had when he arrived on set. “When Matthew walked onto the set, it brought the house down,” he said. “We had this role reversal thing where [my character, Richard] tried to be like them, and them like me.” Tom admitted struggling to replicate Perry’s iconic sarcastic delivery of lines, such as the famous quip about Richard’s foosball technique. “Could that shot be any prettier? … Matthew had a speech pattern that I hadn’t been aware of,” Tom noted. He recalled asking Perry how to capture Chandler Bing’s essence, to which Matthew responded, “It’s a joke, Tom. It’s the way he says it.”

Tom continued, “I kept asking him to say it again, and he would, with that signature style of his.”

Reflecting on his experience with the “Friends” cast, Tom praised the camaraderie among the actors. “There are no bad stories from my time with Matthew and his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc,” he said. “There was no star stuff. It was fascinating to see how they all got along so well. Courteney would be sitting on someone’s lap one moment and someone else’s the next. They all appreciated how fortunate they were to be part of such a hit show, especially after facing failures on previous projects.”

Tom also fondly recalled his interactions with Perry, noting how the cast members treated him with kindness. “Every day, I’d see Matthew and ask him, ‘How’s your father?’ He’d always smile and we’d catch up,” he said, referring to Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry. “I got to know John when I was a young actor. Almost every commercial or pilot I auditioned for, there was John. We became good friends.”

Matthew Perry’s unexpected death in October 2023, following a long battle with addiction, deeply shocked fans. Although he had been in recovery, his passing was attributed to the “acute effects of ketamine.”