Jennifer Aniston on Matthew Perry: 'He Wasn't Struggling'

She says he was getting in shape, 'on a pursuit' before death
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 12, 2023 2:30 AM CST
Jennifer Aniston: 'I Was Literally Texting' With Perry That Morning
David Schwimmer, from left, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc pose after "Friends" won outstanding comedy series at the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 22, 2002, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

At the end of their interview for Variety's Emmys issue, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon talked about Aniston's Friends co-star and longtime friend Matthew Perry. Aniston said that before Perry's death, "He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy—that's all I know. I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn't struggling. He was happy." Witherspoon commented that it's important for people to know that, and Aniston agreed, saying Perry would want to be remembered that way.

"I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard. He really was dealt a tough one. I miss him dearly. We all do. Boy, he made us laugh really hard," Aniston continued. Speaking about the tributes that poured in for him after his death, she added, "I hope he can know that he was loved in a way he never thought he was." Witherspoon also commented about her time as a guest star on Friends and the friendships the core cast had so clearly developed. "I also have to say I think Matthew Perry's dialect, his way of speaking, created a whole different world," Aniston told her. "We went with his lead, in a way. It just added something to our joy." The full interview, which mostly focuses on the pair's work on The Morning Show, is here. (More Jennifer Aniston stories.)

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