The beloved actor was laid to rest at a private ceremony.
Almost a week after his tragic death, Matthew Perry was laid to rest at a private funeral. He passed away on Oct. 28, and since then, his family, friends, loved ones, and fans have paid tribute to the beloved actor. Here’s more on his final goodbye.
Was the Friends cast at Matthew Perry’s funeral?
According to ET, Perry’s funeral took on Friday, Nov. 3. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, which is located near Warner Bros Studios, where Friends was filmed. The late actor’s family, friends, and Friends cast mates — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — were in attendance. Perry’s mother, Suzanne Perry, father, John Bennett Perry, and stepfather, Keith Morrison, also attended the two-hour ceremony.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is the final resting place of a number of Hollywood icons, including Lucille Ball, Carrie Fisher, and Bob Barker, among others.
How the late actor wanted to be remembered
Perry was aware of his far-reaching impact, and ahead of his memoir release last year, he spoke to podcast host Tom Power about how he envisioned his legacy. “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” he said. He added, “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
In his memoir, Friends, Lover, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry opened up about his battles with addiction. His hope was that his story would help people, particularly those going through similar struggles. “My hope is that people will relate to it, and know that this disease attacks everybody,” he told PEOPLE in 2022. “It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or not successful, the disease doesn’t care.”
In keeping with that mission, on Friday, the Matthew Perry Foundation launched, with the aim of helping those “struggling with the disease of addiction,” according to a statement from the foundation. The nonprofit was started by the National Philanthropic Trust and is accepting donations.
“We embark on a journey to honor his legacy by establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation, guided by his own words and experiences, and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible,” the statement reads.
“Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down,” reads a quote from Perry on the foundation’s website.
