R.I.P., Matthew Perry: SNL Airs Tribute to Friends Star
NBC’s Saturday Night Live this weekend night paid tribute to Matthew Perry, just hours after news broke of the Friends star’s death at age 54.
Perry had hosted the long-running sketch comedy program a little over 26 years ago, in October 1997. Perry starred in sketches that included a “Sarcasm 101” course and a sadly so-so Friends spoof (in which he actually played… Joey; watch video below).
Ahead of this weekend’s curtain call, SNL flashed on-screen a black-and-white still of Perry, accompanied by silence:
According to TMZ, Perry was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on Saturday morning. A cause of death has not been confirmed.
In addition to his role as Chandler on Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004 and led him to his first Emmy Award nomination, Perry’s TV credits included (but were far from limited to!) NBC’s The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, CBS’ Odd Couple reboot and the short-lived sitcoms Mr. Sunshine (on ABC) and Go On (NBC).
Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind Friends, issued a statement late Saturday: “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
Matthew Perry gone too soon.
So sad 😢.
Rest in peace 🕊️.
May Matthew perry rest in peace. And may his family and friends be surrounded by God’s comforting holy spirit as they go through this crucial time and great loss in their lives. May his friends and family trust that his spirits returned to the god who created him and he will be waiting in paradise resting in peace untill our judgement day. He was a very awesome funny all around great guy. I admired him all the years he made us all laugh. I just loved him and Monica relationship. I loved him as a human being.❤️🫂😞🙏😇🌺🌸🪻🪷🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈this is not death it is a celebration of life as he enters a different spiritual realm. God bless and keep all those that love him.
Loved anything Matthew Perry did. He was hilarious. I will miss him terribly 😔
Celebrity Jeopardy with him as Michael Keaton <3
Matthew, thank you for the smiles you gave us, the gentle charm you shared with us and for the courage you summoned to face down and overcome your struggles. You are an example to us all. Your job here is finished. Rest easy and enjoy your well earned reward.
The Friends sketch was so-so but Kattan as Ross is still pretty hilarious