Lisa Kudrow is finding solace in the very place the world first fell in love with Matthew Perry: the television screen.
Nearly three years after the tragic passing of her Friends co-star, the 62-year-old actress revealed that tuning into reruns of the iconic 90s sitcom has become a powerful way to process her grief and keep his memory alive.
"After Matthew passed away, there were marathons [on TV] and that was really comforting watching the show," Kudrow shared during a recent appearance on Capital FM. "Also just because it makes me laugh, and there he was."
While praising the incredible dynamic she shared with fellow cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, Kudrow didn't hesitate to crown Perry's portrayal of the endearingly sarcastic Chandler Bing as the pinnacle of the show's comedy.
"He was so funny, I mean, the funniest," she admitted. "Sorry, everybody else, but just truly." She was quick to clarify, however, that her love for the entire ensemble remains strong, noting that watching the rest of the cast still manages to make her "laugh my ass off."
Ironically, sitting down to watch Friends is a relatively new pastime for the Emmy-winning actress. During the show's original ten-season run, Kudrow's hectic schedule as a working mother left little room for prime-time viewing. She recalled that tuning in for the show's famous Thursday night 8:00 p.m. time slot was simply "too early" while raising a young child, meaning she missed most episodes as they originally aired.
Today, viewing the series through a nostalgic lens has given Kudrow a deeper appreciation for the cultural juggernaut she helped create. While she historically preferred not to take the entertainment industry "too seriously," revisiting the sitcom has highlighted the vital importance of providing audiences—and herself—with a joyful escape. She affectionately described the experience of laughing through the pain as "kind of healing."
Beyond the screen, Perry continues to comfort his former co-star in deeply personal ways. In a January appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Kudrow shared a touching story about a hidden note Perry left her inside a cookie jar prop he gifted her when the series wrapped.
She had unknowingly kept the unread message tucked away for years, only discovering it after his passing. Though she chose to keep Perry's written words private, Kudrow reflected on the profound emotional weight of finding his hidden message exactly when she needed it most, simply stating: "Timing is everything."