Friends' Kathleen Turner Reflects on Onscreen Son Matthew Perry's "Good Heart" After His Death

Kathleen Turner is sharing one of her memories of Matthew Perry. 

One day after the Friends star passed away, the Body of Heat actress—who played the parent of his character Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom—recalled him watching her perform on Broadway.

"He came to see one of my Broadway shows and he came backstage," Turner told People in an interview published Oct. 29. "When he saw me, he yelled out, 'Hey dad' and everyone thought it was pretty cool. I think it was for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

The Romancing the Stone star, who noted she last saw Perry over a decade ago, explained that one thing that stuck with her was how he treated people around him.

"I liked him," she continued. "He had a good sense of humor and a good heart. He liked other people, which, to me, is terribly important, especially for an actor." 

Turner also reminisced about Perry's close bond with his costars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

"I need to emphasize that these kids were a tight group. I was more in and out of his life," she added. "They were a clique, all of them. They were a very tight knit group."

Perry died in an apparent drowning at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, his rep and a law enforcement source confirmed to NBC News. He was 54.

The law enforcement source told the outlet the incident was treated as a water rescue and that there were no signs of foul play. However, Perry's official cause of death has been "deferred" pending the result of a toxicology test, according to NBC News citing a report obtained from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

After learning of Perry's death, stars like Olivia Munn and Rumer Willis, family members and industry figures paid tribute. 

"We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew's passing," Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane as well as executive producer Kevin Bright said in a statement obtained by E! News. "It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives."

Calling him a "brilliant talent," the trio then reflected on his performance on Friends.

"It's a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew's case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us," they continued. "We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment—not just to his work, but in life as well," Kauffman, Crane and Bright wrote. "He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart." 

Perry received an Emmy nomination in 2002 for his portrayal of Chandler Bing. It was one of the many nods he received throughout his career with others being for his guest role on The West Wing and performance on The Ron Clark Story.

In addition to working in television—with other shows including Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On and The Odd Couple revival—Perry appeared in movies like Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards. And just one year before his death, he Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing in which he wrote about his life, career, battle with addiction and journey to sobriety.

To look back at his life in pictures, keep reading.

The Boys Will Be Boys star poses for a photo while at the Limelight in New York City.

The Sydney actor takes a break while on the set of the CBS series in Los Angeles, California.

The Friends star sits by the well-known fountain that serves as the backdrop for the show's opening sequence.

The Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing author attends the Scream premiere in Los Angeles.

Perry poses while on the set of Friends as his beloved character Chandler Bing.

The 17 Again star attends the Los Angeles premiere of The Grinch.

The actor hits the red carpet for the premiere of The Whole Ten Yards.

The Mr. Sunshine star attends the Entertainment Weekly and Matrix Men upfront party.

 The Odd Couple actor hangs out backstage at an event in celebration of the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Perry poses for a photo while at the play The End Of Longing.

The American-Canadian actor was front and center at The Circle premiere in New York City.

Perry attends the 2022 GQ Men of the Year party.

Six months prior to his passing, the Almost Heroes star discussed his memoir while on stage at the 2023 Los Angeles Times Festival.

E! News has reached out to Perry's rep for comment but has yet to hear back.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family).

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