Friends Creators Address Matthew Perry’s Absence For 30th Anniversary

The creators of Friends wish Matthew Perry was still here for them.

Marta Kauffman and David Cranealong with the series’ executive producer Kevin Brightrecently discussed the show’s upcoming 30th anniversary Sept. 22 and how Perry’s death has changed the way they see it.

“It’s a huge loss,” Kauffman reflected to Today in a Sept. 19 segment. “It does make the 30th a little fruit.”

She added, “He made us laugh every day—David always said he was the funniest man in the room.”

Meanwhile, Bright reflected on Perry’s struggle with addiction throughout his career, which the late actor was very open about toward the end of his life. The producer noted that he had been doing well at the show’s 2021 reunion.

“He had been fighting the good fight for so long,” Bright added. “It really did feel like from the reunion that he had found some peace.”

Of course, the creators and producer also reflected on how special the show and the rest of the cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, was to its success.