Kathleen Turner opened up about how heartbreaking the death of Matthew Perry has been for her in a new interview with People, published on Sunday, October 29. The actress, 69, who played “Chandler’s dad” on Friends, mourned Matthew’s death at 54, speaking about the many qualities that she loved about her sitcom son.
Kathleen said that even though she hadn’t seen the Friends actor for many years, she still thought fondly of him. “I liked him,” she said. “He had a good sense of humor and a good heart. He liked other people, which, to me, is terribly important, especially for an actor.”
The Romancing The Stone actress played Chandler’s parent Helena Handbasket, who was a transgender woman, whom Chandler said was his “father.” Kathleen said she still gets recognized as “Chandler’s dad” by fans of the show. She even recalled a time when Matthew came to see her in a show and made a reference to the series backstage. “When he saw me, he yelled out, ‘Hey dad’ and everyone thought it was pretty cool,” she said.
At another point in the interview, Kathleen spoke about Matthew’s battles with addiction. “It’s extremely sad when you think about how young [he was] and a pity he couldn’t get more control,” she said. “I can’t imagine the pressure those guys lived under being a worldwide phenomenon. It must have been overwhelming.”
Matthew was reportedly found dead in his jacuzzi after an apparent drowning on Saturday, October 28, according to TMZ. Following his passing, his family released a statement, announcing his death. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” they told People. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Following Matthew’s death, many of his former co-stars and celebrity fans took to social media to share tributes to him. Actresses including Morgan Fairchild and Maggie Wheeler, who also played Chandler’s mom and girlfriend, respectively, were included in the stars who honored him.