'Friends' Director Says Cast is Destroyed After Matthew Perry Loss _ E! News
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00:00 He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore."
00:06 Sitcom director Jim Burrows is remembering his time with the late Matthew Perry.
00:12 Jim, who directed the first episodes of Friends, knew early on that Matthew Perry, who portrayed
00:18 Chandler Bing on the classic sitcom, was a gifted talent.
00:23 The director opens up to Today on November 2nd about his relationship with Matthew.
00:30 "What was your first impression of Matthew?"
00:32 "Wow.
00:33 The reading around the table.
00:36 Matthew had a certain way of turning a line."
00:38 He goes on to reveal how the cast is doing since news broke that Matthew died in an apparent
00:44 drowning at his Los Angeles home on October 28th.
00:49 According to a copy of a Los Angeles medical examiner report obtained by NBC News, Matthew's
00:55 cause of death has been deferred pending the results of a toxicology test.
01:00 "I had to have a couple of days to, you know, just let it soak in.
01:04 He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore."
01:10 "How is the rest of the cast doing right now?"
01:13 "I texted the girls the day we found out and they were destroyed.
01:18 It's a brother dying."
01:20 Jim also says that Matthew mirrored his character Chandler in a lot of ways.
01:25 "What was Matthew like on set?
01:28 Was he just as funny and sarcastic as Chandler?"
01:31 "Absolutely.
01:32 He was really funny.
01:34 He was a little awkward too.
01:37 Chandler was awkward and Matthew was awkward.
01:40 It was a perfect, perfect meld."
01:42 While Matthew struggled off camera in a well-known battle with addiction, Jim notes that he was
01:48 doing better in recent years.
01:50 "We were so proud of him these last couple of years that he was making a remarkable recovery."
01:56 Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David
02:03 Schwimmer honored the late actor in a moving message on October 30th.
02:08 The five stars began in a joint statement to E! News, saying, "We are all so utterly
02:15 devastated by the loss of Matthew.
02:18 We were more than just castmates.
02:20 We are a family."
02:22 They continued, "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment
02:27 to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
02:32 The cast said that they will speak more on the tragedy in the future.
02:36 "In time, we will say more, as and when we are able.
02:41 For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone
02:47 who loved him around the world."
02:49 "We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:50 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:51 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:52 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:53 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:54 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:55 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:56 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:57 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:58 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
02:59 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
03:00 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.
03:01 We are so deeply saddened by the loss of Matthew.