Matt Le Blanc has paid heartbreaking tribute to his former Friends co-star Matthew Perry.
The actor, who played Chandler Bing in the hit US sitcom, was found dead at his home in LA last month, at the age of 54.
Shortly afterwards, his Matt and fellow Friends cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer shared a short statement expressing their utter devastation at Matthew’s death, explaining they would share more in time.
Now, in a post shared on Instagram, Matt – who played Matthew’s on-screen best friend Joey Tribbiani – shared his own personal sadness with his 9.3 million followers.
Sharing a picture of them in character as Joey and Chandler, Matt wrote: “Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life.
“It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.
“Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.”
He then jokingly added: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
The rest of the Friends cast previously said in their joint statement: “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.
“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.”
Jennifer, Lisa, Courteney, Matt and David were among those believed to have attended Matthew’s intimate funeral service for close family and friends earlier this month.
The six co-stars were propelled to worldwide fame when they were cast as a group of 20-somethings navigating life and love in New York in Friends back in 1994.
The group formed a close bond during their 10 years working on the US sitcom, even coming together to collectively negotiate their salaries after they found out they were being paid different amounts in the show’s early years.
In his 2022 memoir, Friend, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, Matthew also spoke of the support he received from them as he struggled with his addiction issues.
All six cast members were last all seen together during 2021′s delayed reunion special in celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary, which saw them look back over some of Friends’ most iconic moments.