Fans of Friends have proven once again their deep love and loyalty to Matthew Perry, calling out his absence from the In Memoriam segment at the 2024 Emmy Awards. The beloved actor, who passed away in October 2023 due to the acute effects of ketamine, was noticeably missing during the tribute at the Sept. 15 award show.
“Did I miss it or did the Emmys not show Matthew Perry?” one fan questioned on social media, while another exclaimed, “How in the world did the Emmys not include Matthew Perry?!”
However, Perry’s absence was not a slight. The actor had already been honored during the January 2023 Emmys ceremony, which was delayed from its usual September date due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. During that ceremony, Perry was given a special tribute as Friends‘ iconic theme song “I’ll Be There For You” played during the In Memoriam segment, closing with a heartfelt image of the actor.
Though Perry’s Friends co-stars—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer—were not involved in that tribute, the show’s executive producers explained that it was simply too soon for them. As Jeannae Rouzan-Clay told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, “It’s still very fresh for them.” Fellow producer Jesse Collins added, “They’re mourning someone who was still very close to them,” and acknowledged that the group had the right to grieve in their own way.
Since Perry’s passing, his co-stars have shared candid reflections on their bond with him. Courteney Cox, in particular, spoke about how she continues to feel his presence in her life. “He visits me a lot, if we believe in that,” she revealed in a touching interview on CBS Sunday Morning in May. “I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew. I feel like there are a lot of people that guide us. I sense Matthew’s around for sure.”
Cox also expressed gratitude for the lasting connection she shared with her Friends family, saying, “I’m grateful that I had that opportunity to work with such wonderful people and to live the life that I have now. That was my family. We went through everything. Those 10 years were everything.”
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