Friends creators recall last conversation with Matthew Perry

Friends star Matthew Perry died at the age of 54 this past weekend, leaving costars, friends, and admirers shocked and in mourning. While his cause of death is still under investigation—Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub in his home—Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman said the actor was “happy and chipper” during what would become their last conversation, two weeks before his death.

“It was great,” Kauffman said of the chat in a joint Today interview with co-creator David Crane. “He didn’t seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair.”

“I was just in utter shock” upon hearing the news of his passing, she added. “My first instinct was to text him, honestly. And then deep sadness. So much sadness. It’s hard to grasp. One minute he’s here and happy and then poof.”

He was also “really doing good in the world,” she said. “He seemed better than I had seen in a while. I was so thrilled to see that. He was emotionally in a good place. He looked good. He quit smoking. Yes, he was sober. He learned things throughout this and what he learned more than anything is that he wants to help other addicts, and it gave him purpose.”

“There was always a part that was kind of bracing for something like this,” added Crane. “It is still hard to believe because he was such an alive person, that it’s hard to believe he’s not here.” He also thinks Perry would understand the impact he had on so many people, “but at the same time I wonder… how much he was able to internalize it and find comfort in it.”

“I lost a friend in multiple ways, and what’s amazing is the outpouring from the fans who lost a friend of theirs, too,” Kauffman concluded. “And I hope wherever he is, he feels it.”

Earlier this week, the main cast of Friends—Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Courteney Cox—published their own joint statement on Perry’s death. “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,” they wrote. “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

You can watch Marta Kauffman and David Crane’s full Today interview with Hoda Kotb below.