The 2023 Emmy Awards paid homage to all the actors, stars, and entertainers who had died during the year – including Friends star Matthew Perry. But fans noticed the cast was not in attendance.
Matthew Perry was infamous among TV fans for his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends. Like Seinfeld, Friends became a cult classic that redefined television. Perry’s character was well-loved as the comedic friend who had trouble committing to relationships.
But he found his soulmate with someone who was there all along, Monica. The actor had a formidable career outside Friends but had his own battles off-screen. On October 28, 2023, Perry was found dead in his jacuzzi in his Los Angeles home. He was 54 years old.
His death shocked global fans and the cast. While the 2023 Emmys honored the actor as part of their yearly memorium, the producers explain why the Friends cast was not in attendance.
The Emmy producers made a choice early on
The producers of the Emmys discussed that it was still too early since Matthew Perry’s death to have the cast reunite at the award show to honor the late actor.
Since the death of the actor, each cast member of Friends took their time to mourn before publically addressing fans on social media. Courtney Cox paid tribute to her love for Perry alongside Jennifer Aniston who called him her “little brother.” Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc also paid homage to the actor.
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Charlie Puth performs the theme song from #Friends during the in memoriam segment at the 75th #Emmys pic.twitter.com/YbfNUZOHYj
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 16, 2024
It’s not uncommon for the Emmys to round up the cast members who worked with a late actor to say kind words or appear in commemorance. But the Emmy producers voted against reuniting the Friends cast.
“It’s still very fresh for them,” said Jeannae Rouzan-Clay to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We had talked about it early on,” said Jesse Collins. “But I can imagine, from their side, they’re mourning someone who was still very close to them. I can’t speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon.”
The Emmy memorium included stars like Norman Lear, Bob Barker, Paul Reubens, and Treat Williams. A picture of Perry closed out the segment as Charlie Purth sang “See You Again” into an acapella version of the Friends theme song “I’ll Be There For You.”