Matthew Perry, who passed away last week at the age of 54, has been laid to rest in Los Angeles over the weekend at a funeral service attended by his close friends and family.
Perry’s final resting place was Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills, where many other late Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Carrie Fisher, and Michael Jackson have been buried.
All five of his Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, were in attendance. Perry’s family members including John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, attended the funeral as well.
The funeral was a small and private affair with only about twenty mourners in total. Forest Lawn appeared to be honouring his family’s wishes for privacy and did not respond to any media enquiries regarding the event.
His Friends co-stars issued a statement last Thursday.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. 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,” they said.
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Hollywood home on October 28th after what is currently believed to be a heart attack. Police are investigating his death but no foul play is suspected. A toxicology report is still pending. Perry had previously struggled with issues with addiction but there were no drugs or alcohol found at the scene.
In 2021, he published his memoir, the Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he was open about his struggled with addiction and his journey towards sobriety through multiple relapses. At the time of his death, he had been sober again for at least eighteen moths.
A foundation in Perry’s name has been launched to support people struggling with addiction.
According to its website, the Matthew Perry Foundation will reportedly “honour his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.”
The website leads with a quote from Perry that says, “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”