Friends turns 30 at this time, with its premiere episode airing on September 22, 1994.
The present was an immediate hit and has grow to be some of the beloved sitcoms in historical past. Over its 10 seasons and 236 episodes, Buddies has been watched greater than 100 billion occasions throughout varied platforms. Nevertheless, the creators—Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and government producer Kevin S. Vivid—acknowledge that Matthew Perry’s loss of life has forged a shadow over what must be a celebratory time. The present confronted a tragic flip in 2023 when Perry died at age 54 from what a health worker described because the acute results of ketamine. In August, federal and native regulation enforcement officers introduced the arrest of 5 defendants, together with two docs, who have been charged with a number of counts for allegedly exploiting Perry’s well-known struggles with drug dependancy.
Kauffman famous that the connection among the many six stars—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Perry—was evident from the beginning. Whereas there has by no means been a Buddies reboot, a forged reunion was held on HBO Max in 2021.
Right here’s what those that labored on the sitcom needed to say in regards to the lack of their beloved Chandler Bing.
Buddies Creators and Government Producer
“He’d been preventing the nice struggle for therefore lengthy, and it actually did really feel like, from the reunion, that he had lastly discovered some peace,” co-creator Vivid stated in a TODAY interview that aired on Sept. 20.
“It’s an enormous loss, and it does make the thirtieth a little bit fraught,” Kauffman added.
“He made us snort on daily basis—David all the time stated he was the funniest man within the room,” Vivid mirrored.
“When the six of them obtained on stage collectively,” Kauffman recalled of the present’s earliest rehearsals, “I obtained a chill up my backbone and thought, ‘That is one thing particular.’”
Kauffman additionally beforehand spoke about find out how to honor Perry’s reminiscence after his loss of life. “Donate to drug remedy facilities—let’s struggle the illness,” she informed The Times final month. “The second method is to look at Buddies and bear in mind him not as a person who died like that, however as a person who was hilariously humorous and introduced pleasure to everyone.”
In 2023, shortly after Perry’s loss of life, the three issued a joint assertion: “We’re shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved pal Matthew’s passing. It nonetheless appears unimaginable. All we will say is that we really feel blessed to have had him as a part of our lives. He was an excellent expertise.”
“We’ll all the time cherish the enjoyment, the sunshine, the blinding intelligence he introduced to each second—not simply to his work, however in life as properly. He was all the time the funniest particular person within the room. Greater than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless coronary heart.”
“We ship all of our like to his household and associates. This really is The One The place Our Hearts Are Damaged.”
