Fans were moved by the Television Academy’s tribute to late actor Matthew Perry during the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, with many taking to social media to laud the touching moment. “Wow the Friends theme song / Matthew Perry tribute at the #Emmys really just took me out,” wrote one user on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This was a really rough year. And Matthew Perry still hurts,” another commented, adding a crying face emoji. Meanwhile, one fan said, “I’m kinda glad the whole cast didn’t come out. The first note of the theme song sent me into a spiral. Matthew Perry forever.”
In November 2023, reports surfaced that Perry’s “Friends” co-stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer — were in the process of organizing a special tribute to the actor to be presented live at the 2024 Emmys. “Jen, Lisa, and the rest of the cast want to honor him publicly at some point and give him the tribute he so rightfully deserves,” a source told the Daily Mail, adding that the cast wanted to share their favorite memories of Perry and “tell the world about the man he was in real life.” Earlier, Aniston spoke about Perry while chatting to the press during the 2024 Critics Choice Awards. Asked by ET how she hopes fans will continue to remember Perry and keep his legacy alive, the actor said with a smile, “To celebrate him.”
