Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Lisa Kudrow says rewatching Friends after the death of Matthew Perry led her to newly appreciate the show and her late co-star – who she described as a “genius”.
The actress, 62, who played Phoebe Buffay in the long-running sitcom, reflected on her experience in an interview with The Times, nearly three years on from her former co-star Matthew’s death at the age of 54 due to the acute effects of ketamine.
Lisa said about rewatching the show in the wake of his passing: “Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better.
“But for the first time, I truly appreciated just how great it was.”
She added: “I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing.
“David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard.
“And then Matthew – he was just beyond us all.”
Lisa, who wrote the foreword to Matthew’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Terrible Big Thing, said she had not fully understood the extent of his struggles at the time.
Matthew had spoken publicly about his addiction, including in an interview with People in 2022, where he said he had been taking large amounts of prescription medication during the height of the show’s success.
Asked about Matthew’s mindset, Lisa said: “Oh, it was something else,” before describing him as “a genius at work”.
She added: “And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”
Matthew had previously spoken about the support he received from his co-stars during difficult periods.
He said: “They were understanding, and they were patient.
“It’s like penguins. Penguins, in nature, when one is sick, or when one is very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up.
“They walk around it until that penguin can walk on its own. That’s kind of what the cast did for me.”
The series continues to draw audiences, and tributes to Matthew persist across social media platforms, where fans continue to post messages reflecting on his work and legacy.
Friends, which concluded more than two decades ago, followed a group of pals in New York City navigating careers and relationships.
Alongside Lisa and Matthew, the cast included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc.
