“Friends” Creator Marta Kauffman Urges Fans to Remember Matthew Perry 'Not as a Man Who Died' But by How He 'Brought Joy'

Kauffman also encouraged people to donate to drug treatment centers in his memory

It's been nearly 30 years since Matthew Perry first won over the hearts of Friends fans as Chandler Bing when the show premiered in September 1994. And now, series creator Marta Kauffman is encouraging fans to remember the late actor for that very reason.

Speaking with The Times for a 30th anniversary retrospective on the iconic television series, Kauffman opened up about how viewers should celebrate Perry, who died after an accidental drug overdose on Oct. 28, 2023.

"Two things come to mind [about how to celebrate him]: one of them is to donate to drug treatment centers — let’s fight the disease," she said.

"And the second way is to watch Friends and remember him not as a man who died like that but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody," Kauffman, 67, told the outlet.

Related: Inside Matthew Perry's Last Day, When Assistant Left After Giving Ketamine Shot and Returned to Find Actor Dead

After Perry's death last year, Kauffman and her Friends co-creator David Crane appeared on Today to speak about the last exchange they had with the beloved actor.

"It was great," Kauffman recalled at the time. "He was happy and chipper. He didn’t seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair."

On Thursday, Aug. 15, federal authorities announced that five people, including two doctors and Perry's personal live-in assistant, had been charged in connection with his death. The Department of Justice announced that Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plascencia are facing charges, while assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming and Dr. Mark Chavez were charged separately.

"These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves," United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. "In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being."

Related: Biggest Revelations in Matthew Perry's Death Investigation from Arrests of Doctors to Alleged 'Cover Ups,' Per Prosecutors

Perry's stepfather Keith Morrison said in a statement to PEOPLE, one day after the news of the arrests, that he hoped for “justice” to be carried out in the case.

“We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously,” the Dateline correspondent said. “We look forward to justice taking its course and we’re grateful for the exceptional work of the multiple agencies whose agents investigated Matthew’s death."

He added: “We’re hoping unscrupulous suppliers of dangerous drugs will get the message.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.