I'll be there for you: Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry and true meaning of friendship
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The world is heartbroken over the loss of the legendary Matthew Perry, 54, who touched audiences worldwide with his iconic character Chandler Bing in the sitcom 'Friends'.
His humorous, sarcastic one-liners, including the unforgettable "I'm Chandler; I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable," are adored by millions across the globe.
Fans are reflecting on Perry's unforgettable moments and valuing how his real-life 'Friends' personified the assurance of "I'll be there for you."
Specifically, in the television world, the bond between Jennifer Aniston who played Rachel Green, and Perry is recognized as one of the most long-lasting and sincere.
Their off-screen rapport is a compelling demonstration of the true meaning of friendship. Perry even disclosed in his memoir 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing' that Aniston had a profound influence on his life.
Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry's friendship
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Jennifer and Perry went beyond their on-screen personas, embodying a friendship that endures over time. Their performances have deeply moved audiences around the globe. Their depiction serves as an enduring tribute to the essence of true friendship.
When Perry was struggling with addiction, Aniston was the one who confronted him about it during their time filming the sitcom. She continued to reach out and check on him through the ups and downs of his addiction struggles and sobriety journey.
Perry praised Aniston for being a constant friend to him during these challenging times, per PEOPLE. "She was the one that reached out the most. You know, I'm really grateful to her for that," the actor who died at the age of 54 said in an October 2022 interview with Diane Sawyer.
Perry disclosed that it was Aniston who first addressed him about his addiction during their time on the popular sitcom when his struggles became apparent to their fellow actors.
In the interview, Sawyer nudged him, saying, "Jennifer, she says, 'We know you're drinking.'" "Yeah, imagine how scary a moment that was," Perry stated by adding "I should have been the toast of the town, but I was in a dark room meeting with nothing but drug dealers and completely alone."
Perry also drew a parallel between the support he received from Aniston and other fellow actors, and the behavior of "penguins" in nature.
When Jennifer Aniston got emotional about Matthew Perry
In the conversation with Diane, Aniston was moved to tears as she talked about Perry's battle with addiction. She confessed that she was oblivious to the emotional distress, anxiety, and inner torment Perry was experiencing while he was delivering Chandler Bing’s memorable one-liners on 'Friends.'
"I didn't understand the level of anxiety and self-torture [that] was put on Matthew Perry, if he didn't get that laugh, and the devastation that he felt," she told TODAY in 2021. However, Jen continued, the situation "makes a lot of sense."