Another member of the Friends cast has expressed her sorrow over the passing of Matthew Perry. Jessica Hecht, who is well-known for her portrayal of Susan Bunch on the popular sitcom, spoke to Page Six at the Manhattan Theatre Club's 2023 Fall Gala last week, breaking her silence on Perry's death.
During the interview, Hecht, aged 58, reminisced about one of her cherished episodes with Perry, who portrayed the humorous character Chandler Bing. She referred to the Season 2 episode titled "The One With the Breast Milk." In this episode, Susan's wife, Carol Willick (played by Jane Sibbett), who is also Ross Geller's (David Schwimmer) ex-wife, was still breastfeeding their son Ben. Some of the characters, notably Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), boldly decided to taste the breast milk. Ross and Chandler were particularly repulsed by the situation, leading them to attempt tasting the milk themselves.
Hecht recounted Perry's humorous attempt, stating, "His [Perry's] was the silliest attempt to taste the breast milk. I just remember how kind he was and how he tried to make everyone else at ease." She went on to mention that Perry was kinder towards others than he was towards himself, highlighting how individuals with addiction often seek relief for the pain they experience. Before his passing at the age of 54 in October, Perry had dedicated his life to raising awareness and supporting individuals struggling with addiction, a cause that he had been passionate about for many years.
In fact, Perry had previously stated that he didn't want to be remembered solely for his Emmy-nominated performance on Friends, but rather for his efforts in helping others. Since his death, the other main cast members of the show, including LeBlanc, Schwimmer, Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Courteney Cox, have all paid their own heartfelt tributes and shared their cherished memories of working with Perry.
