Just one day after his tragic passing, tributes for Friends star Matthew Perry keep pouring in, with his TV ‘dad’ Kathleen Turner opening up.
Turner, 69, played Helena Handbasket, a transgender character often referred to as the ‘father’ of Perry’s beloved character Chandler Bing.
The actress revealed in a statemeent to People that she was, ‘very sad for Matthew’ and added she hadn’t seen him in ‘at least 10 years.’
‘I liked him. He had a good sense of humor and a good heart,’ Turner revealed to the outlet, adding that he, ‘liked people.’
She added that liking people is, ‘to me, is terribly important, especially for an actor,’ while also opening up about when he saw one of her Broadway shows.
Kathleen’s tribute: Just one day after his tragic passing, tributes for Friends star Matthew Perry keep pouring in, with his TV ‘dad’ Kathleen Turner opening up
Father: Turner, 69, played Helena Handbasket, a transgender character often referred to as the ‘father’ of Perry’s beloved character Chandler Bing
‘He came to see one of my Broadway shows and he came backstage. When he saw me, he yelled out, ‘Hey dad’ and everyone thought it was pretty cool. I think it was for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,’ she added.
‘It’s extremely sad when you think about how young [he was] and a pity he couldn’t get more control,’ she said, referring to his battles with addiction.
‘I can’t imagine the pressure those guys lived under being a worldwide phenomenon. It must have been overwhelming,’ she said.
Turner only appeared as Helena Handbasket for just three episodes in 2001, though she revealed she’s still recognized for that role.
‘I am still constantly recognized by a certain age group as Chandler’s dad,’ she revealed in the interview.
‘I met somebody last night and she said, “Aren’t you a movie star?” I said, “Yeah, but before your time,”‘ Turner began.
‘And she said, “Well, where would I know you from?” and I said, “Chandler’s dad.” She said, “Oh, my God!”‘ Turner added.
She also spoke about being a part of the episode where Chandler got married to Courteney Cox’s Monica.
Pressure: ‘I can’t imagine the pressure those guys lived under being a worldwide phenomenon. It must have been overwhelming,’ she said
Chandler’s dad: ‘And she said, “Well, where would I know you from?” and I said, “Chandler’s dad.” She said, “Oh, my God!”‘ Turner added
Addiction: ‘It’s extremely sad when you think about how young [he was] and a pity he couldn’t get more control,’ she said, referring to his battles with addiction
Tight: ‘They were a clique, all of them. They were a very tight knit group,’ Turner added in the interview
‘The wedding! I was married to Morgan Fairchild. There was no time for anything but shooting,’ she said.
Turner added, ‘I need to emphasize that these kids were a tight group. I was more in and out of his life,’ referring to the six six main sars played by Perry, Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc.
‘They were a clique, all of them. They were a very tight knit group,’ Turner added in the interview.
Warner Bros., the production company behind Friends, added in their own statement, ‘We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of Warner Bros. Television Group family.’
‘The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans,’ they concluded.