Matt LeBlanc is the first of the core Friends cast to pay solo tribute to Matthew Perry. LeBlanc, who memorably played Joey Tribbiani, roommate and best friend to Perry’s wisecracking Chandler Bing, took to Instagram and posted a moving tribute to the late actor, who died on October 28. He had been found unresponsive in his hot tub. 

“Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” wrote LeBlanc on Instagram. “The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”

He continued, referencing Perry’s well-documented struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. “I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.” And in true Friends fashion, he ended his tribute with a joke: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.” His tribute was accompanied by a carousel of five photos of LeBlanc and Perry, including a shot of Joey and Chandler sitting in the canoe in their apartment, two shots of LeBlanc and Perry embracing, and a behind-the-scenes photo of the Friends cast engaged in a group hug. 

Courteney Cox who famously played Monica Geller, Chandler's friend turned lover, followed LeBlanc's lead by posting her own tribute to Perry on Instagram. The Instagram post included an outtake from the iconic scene where it's revealed that Monica and Chandler slept together on a whim while in London for Ross's wedding, kicking off their unexpected yet pitch-perfect romance. The pair would get married and adopt twins together by the series’ end. 

“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” wrote Cox. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.” In the caption, she shared a little chestnut of what it was like to work with Perry, revealing that Chandler and Monica were originally only supposed to have a one night stand. Their relationship became something more due to the fan's reaction.

“Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story,” she wrote. "In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind." 

The six members of the Friends core cast were a tight-knit group over the course of their 10 seasons of the sitcom, which premiered in 1994. In 1996, they successfully negotiated their contracts together to receive pay parity and a salary increase, and ultimately each earned a historic $1 million per episode for seasons nine and 10. In 2021, the cast reunited for a special on HBO Max.

LeBlanc, Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow released a joint statement in the days following Perry’s death. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” read the statement. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”