Matthew Perry’s loved ones and co-stars say they have been left “heartbroken” by his death aged 54.

His family remarked that he had “brought so much joy to the world,” while the sitcom’s writers called him a “brilliant talent” and “always the funniest person in the room.”

Perry received recognition recently for his candid remarks regarding mental health.

Friends, a television series that tracked the lives of six friends in New York and ran from 1994 to 2004, was a major cultural influence at that time.

The 2004 finale was the most watched TV episode of the 2000s, with over 52 million people in the US alone.

Perry’s death “still seems impossible,” according to the show’s creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as executive producer Kevin Bright, according to Deadline.

“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well,” they said in a joint statement.

“He was the most humorous person in the room all the time. Furthermore, he had the sweetest, most unselfish, and giving heart.

They concluded their homage with a nod to the format of Friends episode titles: “This really is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”

His family expressed their “heartbreak” and said, “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend,” in a statement to People magazine.

They went on to say that Perry’s fans “meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”

In 1993, actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Perry had a “magical summer” together, swimming in creeks, sharing beers, and getting “kissed in a field of long grass.”

“He had filmed Friends’ pilot, but it hadn’t yet aired. He was anxious, thinking that this would be his big break. That was.

“I hope Matthew is at peace at last,” she continued. I genuinely do.

His on-screen lover Janice, Maggie Wheeler, expressed that the happiness he offered to so many people during his “too short lifetime will live on.”

Morgan Fairchild, who portrayed erotic novelist Nora Bing and the mother of Matthew Perry on film, expressed her heartbreak over the premature passing of her “son.”

“It is shocking to lose such a talented young actor,” she continued.

Perry “won’t rest in peace,” according to Paget Brewster, who played love interest Kathy in the sixth season of Friends, since “he’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.”

She encouraged readers to read Perry’s 2022 book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, calling it his “legacy to help,” in a post on X, the platform that was formerly known as Twitter.

The book details his battles with alcohol and painkiller addiction throughout his meteoric ascent to prominence, as well as his ongoing battles with mental health issues.

Due to his drug use, Perry had health issues in 2018 that included a burst colon that required many surgeries.

He said in 2016 on BBC Radio 2 that his drug and alcohol abuse prevented him from remembering the three years he spent filming Friends.

Actor Hank Azaria, who starred in five Friends episodes, paid tribute to Perry and his efforts to support those facing addiction.

When the two first relocated to Los Angeles, Azaria referred to Perry as a “brother” and disclosed that it was Perry who brought him to his first AA meeting while he was battling addiction.

Born in 1969 in Massachusetts, Perry grew up in Ottawa, Canada, where he went to primary school with Justin Trudeau, the future prime leader of Canada.

“The news of Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening,” the leader of Canada tweeted on X. I know that people all throughout the world will always remember the joy he offered them, and I myself will never forget the games we used to play in the playground.

“Matthew, I appreciate all of the laughter. You will be missed, and you were loved.

When Perry was a teenager, he went to Los Angeles. In addition to playing Chazz Russell in the television series Boys Will Be Boys, he also had roles in Growing Pains.

But it was his part in Friends, where he costarred with Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and David Schwimmer, that made him a global celebrity.

Perry was chosen to play uncomfortable Chandler Bing, who is well-known for his witty one-liners and immature interactions with roommate Joey Tribbiani.

He was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for the performance. It has been able to find a new generation of fans thanks to frequent replays and streaming sites.