The 'Friends' Reunion Nobody Wanted

The cast members of Friends have reunited to say farewell to co-star Matthew Perry at his private funeral held in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles.

Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his LA home on October 28. He was 54 years old. Local authorities said foul play was not suspected, and an investigation into the cause of his death is ongoing. Perry's body was released to his loved ones on Sunday, following the completion of an autopsy.

His former castmates arrived together to say goodbye to Perry, according to The Today Show. His funeral took place just a few miles from the studio where the hit sitcom was filmed.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, The Today Show post read: "The cast of Friends have attended the private funeral of their co-star Matthew Perry at the Forest Lawn Church of the Hills on Friday. Dressed in black suits, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, and David Schwimmer arrived as a quartet to farewell their friend."

There were around 20 mourners at the private funeral, which also included co-star Matt LeBlanc, according to TMZ. Perry's mother, Suzanne, and stepfather, Keith Morrison, were also present, images from the funeral show.

Following Perry's death, his co-stars released a statement regarding his death, which read: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. 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," the statement added. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1969, Perry grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and rose to international stardom on Friends, playing Chandler Bing. The sitcom remains one of the most-popular TV series of all time.

Perry had struggled with drug addiction throughout his adult life, although this is not believed at this stage to have contributed to his untimely death. He had been planning to create a foundation to support people suffering with substance abuse-related issues, which has now been posthumously realized by his loved ones.

"The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction," the organization's mission statement reads. "It will honor 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."

A quote posted to the site says that Perry wanted to be remembered for helping others more than for his role in Friends. It reads: "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. And I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that. Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down."