US

Matthew Perry laid to rest in Los Angeles – as Friends co-stars attend funeral

Matthew Perry laid to rest in Los Angeles - as Friends co-stars attend funeral

Matthew Perry has been laid to rest in Los Angeles – with all five of his Friends co-stars attending the service.

A private funeral took place at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills less than a mile away from the studios where the hit sitcom was filmed.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow were among about 20 mourners, according to TMZ.

Perry‘s mother Suzanne Perry and stepfather Keith Morrison, as well as his father John Bennett Perry, also attended alongside the Friends stars, reported US media including TMZ and celebrity news website Page Six.

Forest Lawn is the burial place of celebrities such as Humphrey Bogart, Nat King Cole, Clark Gable, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor.

Perry died at the age of 54 last weekend after an apparent drowning at his LA home.

He was best known for playing wise-cracking Chandler Bing in Friends between 1994 and 2004.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Friends creator: Perry ‘in good place’ before death

In a statement, his co-stars said: “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.”

Read more:
What Perry’s memoir revealed

Obituary: The one who made everyone laugh
Perry’s life in pictures

Perry was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction, and also set up a sober living facility for men with similar issues.

A foundation has now been established to help others struggling with the disease.

The Matthew Perry Foundation “will honour 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,” according to its website.

It quotes Perry saying: “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.”

The cause and manner of Perry’s death are to be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, following the completion of an autopsy with toxicology tests.