Matthew Perry's Last Texts To Former Co-Star Ione Skye Were So Sweet

As we learn more and more about Matthew Perry's untimely death, one thing is unarguably clear: Perry was beloved among his friends, costars, and the folks in Hollywood who knew him. He accomplished much with his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," and in how he spoke out about the difficulty of living with addiction. But when it comes to his acting career, most people know Perry for his role as Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom "Friends." Still, Perry had quite a rich career besides his most famous role. He made his film debut in 1988 in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon." 

While decades have passed since Perry appeared in his first film, it's clear that his fond memories of this experience lived on throughout the rest of his life. His costar from the film, Ione Skye, had a particularly unique experience to share. Skye played Denise Hunter opposite Perry's Fred Roberts in the film, and according to Skye's heartbreaking Instagram post, Perry reached out to her to reminisce about working together just a week before his death. In addition to Skye, in the days following his death, Perry's family and friends have begun speaking out with heartbreaking messages and touching tributes. His family told People, "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," adding, "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend."

On October 29, 2023, as more and more stars began taking to social media to mourn the loss of the beloved actor, Ione Skye posted screenshots on Instagram of a few text messages she'd shared with Matthew Perry. She included the caption, "My last exchange a week ago. I'm very very sad. Loved this guy." The first image in the carousel shows Skye and Perry posing together in their youth. 

The second and third images are screenshots of the sweet text messages the pair had shared days before Perry's death. After establishing that he had the right number to reach Skye, proving that it had been some time since the pair spoke, Perry said, "Hi! I hope all is well. I was meditating (I meditate now) and 'In Your Eyes' started playing. And I instantly thought of how beautiful you are." Skye said, "Awe. I love that. Xo," and Perry added, "Hope you are healthy and happy." Skye replied that she was "both," adding, "Good to hear from you. I only have nice memories with you." The conversation ended with Perry's reply: "Me too. That one afternoon, I was just sitting in my apartment, and there you were!" It's easy to see by the simple and swift dialogue that these two had a happy friendship that stood the test of time, and it set Skye up for a unique attachment to Perry's tragic passing. 

Ione Skye's kind post about Matthew Perry's passing spoke volumes about her pain and the pair's friendship. It also surely acted as a comfort for some of Perry's friends and fans who are mourning the loss. This was evident in the post's comment section where many folks shared their condolences with Skye. Many stars added comments, as well. Patricia Arquette wrote, "I'm so sorry honey." Debi Mazar also said, "I'm so sorry" with heart emojis. Clearly moved by how these text messages further solidified the suddenness of Perry's death, musician Questlove simply wrote, "Oh man......." 

While it's unclear how close Perry and Skye were over the years, it's easy to see based on his text messages to her that Skye stayed on Perry's mind in the decades after they worked together. In 1989, the year after the pair met as costars on "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," Skye appeared in "Say Anything." The song Perry referenced in the text, "In Your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel, played during the film's famous boombox scene.