Kathleen Turner has recalled Matthew Perry's "good heart" and insisted his death is "extremely sad".
Kathleen Turner has remembered her Friends co-star Matthew Perry
The 69-year-old actress appeared opposite Matthew in 'Friends' playing Chandler Bing's transgender parent and Kathleen has admitted she hadn't seen him in 10 years prior to his death on Saturday (28.1023) but fondly recalled the time he came to visit her backstage when she was working on Broadway.
She told PEOPLE: "He came to see one of my Broadway shows and he came backstage. When he saw me, he yelled out, ‘Hey dad’ and everyone thought it was pretty cool. I think it was for 'Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf'."
She added of Matthew: "I liked him. He had a good sense of humour and a good heart. He liked other people, which, to me, is terribly important, especially for an actor. It’s extremely sad when you think about how young [he was]."
Kathleen went on to admit she's still recognised for her role opposite Matthew in the hit sitcom, adding: "I am still constantly recognised by a certain age group as Chandler’s dad. I met somebody last night and she said: ‘Aren’t you a movie star?’ I said: 'Yeah, but before your time.' And she said: ‘Well, where would I know you from?’ and I said: ‘Chandler’s dad.’ She said: ‘Oh, my God!’"
Matthew died on Saturday (28.10.23) at the age of 54 after being found unresponsive in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home,
He has since been remembered 'Friends' creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and director Kevin Bright who issued an emotional statement calling him a "brilliant talent" and "the funniest person in the room".
It read: "We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.
"He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart."
They concluded with a heartbreaking nod to the 'Friends' episode titles, adding: "We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken."
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