Tom Selleck Sought Comedy Tips from Friends Star Matthew Perry

Tom Selleck has shared a cherished memory of his late Friends co-star, Matthew Perry, who passed away last October at the age of 54.

Selleck, 79, guest-starred on the beloved sitcom as Richard Burke, the older romantic interest of Monica Geller, who eventually married Perry’s character, Chandler Bing.

In an earlier episode, Chandler and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) become fascinated with Richard’s charm and start imitating him.

“We had this role reversal going on, where Richard tried to be like them, and they tried to be like me,” Selleck recalled in a recent interview.

During a scene where the characters are playing foosball, Richard mimics Chandler by saying, “Could that shot be any prettier?”

Selleck admitted he struggled to master the line with Perry’s signature sarcastic flair. “Matthew pointed out, ‘It’s a joke, Tom. It’s about how he says it.’ Throughout the shoot, I kept asking him to repeat the line, and he would do it perfectly. That was his trademark,” Selleck said.

Selleck fondly remembered Perry’s warmth and talent, saying, “Matthew was incredibly talented, and it’s easy to say now that he was the most talented of a very gifted cast.” He also shared how he often asked Perry about his father, John Perry, with whom Selleck had a longstanding friendship from his early acting days. “Matthew always had a smile and we would catch up. I knew his father well from my early days as an actor,” Selleck added.

Selleck praised Perry’s ability to light up a room, noting, “Matthew walked onto the set and immediately stole the show.”

The cause of Perry’s sudden death was attributed to the “acute effects of ketamine,” according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office, and his passing was ruled an accident.

In response to Perry’s death, the core Friends cast—Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer—issued a joint statement expressing their profound grief: “We are all deeply devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates; we were a family. There is so much to say, but for now, we need time to grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”