Matt LeBlanc shares heartfelt tribute to "brother" Matthew Perry

Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry — (Image credit: NBC)

Matt LeBlanc has broken his silence on the death of his longtime friend and costar Matthew Perry.

"Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life," LeBlanc wrote. "It was an honor 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. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me."

LeBlanc shared the tribute on Instagram with a gallery of photos that feature stills of the duo from their time on Friends, with the last picture depicting a full-cast group hug. The actor played Joey Tribbiani alongside Perry's Chandler Bing, with the beloved show running for 10 years and consisting of 236 episodes. Both LeBlanc and Perry received Emmy nominations throughout their time on the show.

Perry was found dead at his California home on October 28. He his on-screen career as a child star in the late 1970s, before going on to land roles in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing, and Ally McBeal before eventually finding stardom with Friends. He also appeared in several movies including Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again.

Most importantly, Perry wanted to be remembered for his advocacy work, which included petitioning the US Congress for better funding for drug courts and opening the Perry House, a men's sober living facility.

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.