The One Wish Matthew Perry Had For The Friends Cast Before His Tragic Death

Matthew Perry's time on "Friends" may have been the highlight of his professional career, but it also marked some of the lowest points in his personal life. The actor, who passed away on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54, struggled with drug and alcohol abuse during the early seasons of the hit NBC sitcom. Nevertheless, the support he received from his castmates as well as the distraction of filming the show provided him with saved him from falling even deeper into addiction.

While "Friends" ended in 2004, many of the cast members have kept in touch. Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow are still best friends nearly two decades later, while Matt LeBlanc and Perry have continued to support one another's careers over the years, as well. However, the time the six stars spent together — we can't forget David Schwimmer here — has understandably decreased dramatically since the show went off the air, and that was one of Perry's biggest regrets. 

While it makes sense that the "Friends" cast would move on after wrapping the show, Perry has always regretted that everyone somewhat drifted apart in recent years. While Perry, Schwimmer, LeBlanc, Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow all came together in 2021 for a much-anticipated "Friends" reunion special, opportunities for the whole crew to hang out weren't as frequent as Perry would have liked.

Talking to Access Hollywood (via People) in November 2022 following the release of his memoir, "Friends, Loves, and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry revealed that he still had a strong relationship with Aniston but that he doesn't get to see her or the show's other stars much.

"We don't see each other as much. I wish the group would see each other more times, but she's the greatest," he admitted at the time. No doubt his fellow "Friends" will share that sentiment now that he's gone.