Matthew Perry 'Friends' Scene Resurfaces After Death—'Hits Differently'

Following the news of Matthew Perry's death, an old scene from Friends, in which he played the beloved character Chandler Bing, has gone viral online.

Perry was found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home on Saturday at about 4 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET), authorities told the The Los Angeles Times and TMZ. No cause of death was given, but foul play is not suspected. He was 54 years old.

Born in Massachusetts, Perry grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and rose to international stardom on Friends, which remains one of the most popular TV shows of all time.

Chandler was known for his jokes and self-deprecating humor, however, his sarcasm was usually a facade for insecurities and awkwardness. When this was stripped away, it made way for some tender and heartwarming TV moments.

Fans are taking to the internet to share their heartbreak, posting clips from Friends that have now taken on a new meaning in the wake of Perry's death. One such clip was uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter by the user @aa_liya_hh, who captioned the video: "This scene just hits so differently now."

In the scene, Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Greene (Jennifer Aniston), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) are all sitting together in their usual hang-out spot, the Central Perk cafe. During this period of the show, Monica and Chandler were a couple.

"Hey, you know what, we haven't all been together, the six of us, in such a long time," Phoebe says at the beginning.

"What are you talking about, we're all together right now," Monica responds as she looks around the group.

"Um, Mon, Chandler's not here," Rachel says before Monica looks shocked by her mistake.

The post has since gone viral and at the time of writing had 727,300 views and 9,400 likes.

While the scene used to make people laugh, it now makes fans of Friends and Perry emotional. People took to the comment section to share their thoughts.

"Ugh... I've never been so sad for the death of a celebrity, till now. I truly feel like I lost a friend," one person wrote.

"Too soon! Too soon!" said another.

"Used to laugh at this... Rip #matthewperry," a third person wrote.

Newsweek reached out to Perry's publicist, agent, and manager via email on Monday for comment.

Even though the final episode of Friends aired in 2004, the show has continued to find new audiences almost two decades later thanks to reruns and streaming. Proving its ongoing popularity, HBO, whose streaming service Max is the current online home for the show, released a cast reunion show in 2021. A pop-up event featuring parts of the show's set is currently touring the country, allowing fans to re-live their favorite moments.

A statement by Warner Bros. Television Group released to CNN said: "We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans."