Matt LeBlanc is paying tribute to his late “Friends” costar, Matthew Perry.
via: People
The actors starred as best friends Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing on Friends. And in the wake of Perry’s death last month, LeBlanc, 56, shared an emotional yet touching tribute on Instagram featuring photos of the pair on the NBC sitcom’s set.
“Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life,” he 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,” he continued. “Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.”
In concluding the post, LeBlanc joked: “And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
LeBlanc and Perry were long regarded as one of television’s most beloved best friend duos, and when the cast reunited in 2021 to film HBO Max’s Friends: The Reunion special — and to chat to PEOPLE for an exclusive look at the reunion — they were their usual silly selves.
Reflecting on where they’d imagine their characters to be in 2021, nearly two decades after the hit sitcom came to a close, LeBlanc told PEOPLE Joey likely “would have opened a chain of sandwich shops,” to which Perry added that his on-screen bestie would have subsequently “eaten all the sandwiches.”
LeBlanc then added to his answer that it would be a “dinosaur-themed sandwich shop,” building off his castmate’s joke. “Bronto-burger.”
As for his own character’s fate, Perry said he believed Chandler “would be a wonderful father” and “a wonderful comedy writer.”
Later, they joked again as Perry called the chemistry between the cast “magic,” and LeBlanc deadpanned, “I would say awkward.”
“It’s awkwardly magic,” Perry added.
During their conversation with PEOPLE, LeBlanc also reflected on how it felt to all be in the same room again.
“It’s funny, when we do get together, it’s like no time has passed,” he said. “We pick up right where we left off.”
