Courteney Cox honors “Friends” husband Matthew Perry with Monica and Chandler outtake: 'I miss you every day'
"When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share," the actress wrote on social media.
Courteney Cox is sharing a heartfelt ode to her late Friends costar and screen husband Matthew Perry, recalling a memorable moment from the beloved sitcom that demonstrated Perry's signature wit.
In a touching Instagram tribute posted Tuesday, Cox wrote, "I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day. When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here's one of my favorites."
Her post included an outtake from the Friends season 4 finale, "The One With Ross' Wedding," in which Cox's Monica and Perry's Chandler were shockingly revealed to have begun a romantic relationship that would last through the show's six remaining seasons.
"To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London," Cox wrote. "But because of the audience's reaction, it became the beginning of their love story."
In the clip, Ross (David Schwimmer) pops into a hotel room where Chandler is in bed. After Ross exits, Monica is revealed to have been hiding under the covers. She comes up for air and asks, "Do you think he knew I was here?"
In the unaired outtake, the scene continues with Cox following up the studio audience's awed response by saying, "Okay, your turn," and ducking back under the covers. After laughing and breaking character, Cox gestures to Perry and tells the audience, "We're kidding. He told me to say it! He did!"
Cox wrote, "In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind."
Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman told EW back in 2017 that while the Chandler-Monica hookup was always part of the plan, they weren't meant to stay together in the long term.
"Our intention was not for them to be as serious as they became," she said. But because of the audience's overwhelming response, the writers decided to bet on the pair's chemistry. "The reaction was so stunning," Kauffman said. "We kind of went, 'Huh, this is such an unexpected duo, let's play with it for a little while.'"
In later seasons, the relationship became a core aspect of the show, with the couple marrying and having two kids.
Cox's tribute comes two and a half weeks after Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles and pronounced dead at the scene. He was 54. Authorities have said it will take time to determine a cause of death, though foul play is not suspected.
Since Perry's death, the actor's life and work have been celebrated by fans and fellow stars alike. He was remembered by the core Friends cast — Cox, Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc , Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow — in a joint statement days after his death, which said, "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."
LeBlanc, who played Chandler's best friend Joey Tribianni, also penned a solo tribute, writing, "The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life."
Perry was a five-time Emmy nominee whose other screen credits included The West Wing, The Odd Couple, Go On (on which Cox guest-starred), The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In, and 17 Again. He was also an outspoken advocate on the subject of addiction, which he struggled with for years. He turned his former Malibu home into a sober living facility called the Perry House, which ran until 2015.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
A look back at Matthew Perry's best moments as Chandler Bing on Friends
Friends guest star says Matthew Perry stopped Chandler from cheating on Monica in cut storyline
Friends coffee shop, Central Perk, opens first permanent location with a Matthew Perry tribute
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.