Although she found plenty of success as the Scream franchise’s Gale Weathers in a decades-spanning recurring role, much like the other five principal cast members, Courteney Cox will always be best known for her contributions to Friends.
One of the most popular and beloved sitcoms in history, the enduring power of the Central Perk sextet has been regularly illustrated by the fact it often ranks as one of the most-watched TV shows on streaming, despite the final episode airing over 20 years ago.
While the stars put the series in their rear-view mirror and carried on with their careers, they’ll always be defined as their Friends counterparts. The group was recently left devastated by the passing of Matthew Perry, but Cox maintains that she continues to feel the presence of her on-screen husband.
Monica and Chandler became one of the small screen’s most iconic couples when Friends was at the peak of its cultural powers, with Cox describing her opposite number as “probably one of the funniest human beings in the world” during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning.
That was a sentiment echoed by viewers the world over, who were left just as devastated as the Friends cast and crew when Perry’s death from what was revealed to be the acute effects of ketamine was announced on October 28th, 2023. As heartbreaking as it was, Cox’s spiritual nature has at least ensured that he’s never too far away.
“He visits me a lot, if we believe in that. I talk to my mom, my dad, Matthew,” she explained. “I feel like there are a lot of people that are, I think that guide us. I do sense, yeah, I sense Matthew’s around for sure.” It was a tough period for all of the Friends cast, but Cox has found some solace in her beliefs.
Continuing, Cox referenced Perry’s well-known issues with substance abuse and addiction, but remained eternally grateful they struck up such a strong personal and professional bond. “He’s just so funny. He is genuinely, a huge heart,” she said. “Obviously struggled. I’m so thankful I got to work so closely with him for so many years.”
Even though the six stars of Friends lost one of their number, the sitcom will continue introducing Perry’s signature sardonic style to new audiences for generations to come, with Friends showing no signs of receding into the small screen spotlight 30 years after first premiering.
