The Emmy Awards 2024 production team has expressed the reason behind cancelling a proposed tribute to the late actor Matthew Perry. The show had already honoured Perry during its “In Memoriam” section by using the theme tune of “Friends,” the sitcom where Perry was famous for playing Chanandler Bong. Initially, there were plans to go further and include the sitcom’s cast in the tribute. However, the production team has revealed that Perry’s former colleagues are still mourning, and it might be too soon for them to participate in such an event.
Executive producer Jesse Collins admitted to discussing a potential tribute with the sitcom cast early on but mentioned that it was possible they were still mourning someone close to them. It is understandable they would want to stay private and preserve their own memories in this situation. Meanwhile, fellow executive producer Jeannae Rouzan-Clay highlighted that Perry’s death is still fresh for his former colleagues.
Matthew Perry passed away at the young age of 54 after being found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home last October. His cause of death was attributed to the consumption of ketamine, which led to him drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine side effects as he was receiving treatment for opioid use disorder. Perry was highly respected for his appearances in Friends, The West Wing, Ally McBeal, and Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. Perry had been candid with his life-long struggles with drugs and alcohol, which he documented in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing, which was released in 2022.
After Matthew Perry passed away, Friends’ co-stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow, paid heartwarming tributes to the late actor in a joint statement expressing their deepest condolences, stating they were more than castmates but that they were a family. They also said they would take a moment to grieve and think about the devastating loss. However, reports are circulating that the Friends’ cast is planning a special reunion to commemorate the late actor
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