Matthew Perry has issued an apology for comments he made in which he questioned why “brilliant” performers and “unique thinkers” like River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, and Chris Farley were gone while Keanu Reeves “still walks among us.”
The former “Friends” star claimed in an interview with D.e.a.d.line that he had simply picked a “random name” when he mentioned Keanu Reeves in his upcoming memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” and that he had no ill will toward Reeves.
Perry stated, “I’m actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random number, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.”
Perry, who is 53 years old, wrote about the actor who stars in “John Wick” in his book, which will be made available to the public on November 1.
Reflecting on the untimely losses of Phoenix, Ledger, and Farley, Perry mentions Keanu Reeves by name twice in portions from the book that were published by Variety and The Sunday Times.
It always appears to be the really talented individuals who go down. Why is it that the initial scholars like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger pass away, but Keanu Reeves is still walking among us? Katy Perry wrote the following about River Phoenix, who starred alongside her in the film “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon”: “River was a beautiful man, inside and out — too beautiful for this world, it turned out.”
In another case, Perry recalled his shock when he found out that his co-star on the show “Almost Heroes,” Farley, had passed away as a result of an overdose.
When he discovered out, he writes, “When I found out, I punched a hole through the wall of Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room.”
During this time period, Perry was working on the set of the NBC sitcom “Friends,” which also starred Aniston, who was 53 at the time.
Insider has reached out to a spokesperson for Reeves and will update this article with any comment that is received.
In the meantime, a number of well-known figures have resorted to various social media platforms to express their solidarity with Reeves in response to Perry’s remarks.
“West Side Story” actor Rachel Zegler remarked on Twitter that she was “personally pleased that Keanu Reeves walks among us,” and former “Wonder Woman” star Lynda Carter shared that she was “Come on…Keanu Reeves is like one of those frozen cakes.” Nobody doesn’t like him!”
In the memoir, Perry also discusses how he became addicted to alcohol and drugs when he was only 14 years old. His addiction began at that age. Ahead of the book’s release, he revealed to The New York Times that he was driven back to a treatment center immediately after filming the “Friends” scene in which his character Chandler Bing marries Monica Geller. The sequence takes place during the wedding episode.
“I married Monica and got transported back to the treatment center in a pickup truck driven by a sober technician,” Perry claimed. “This was at the height of my highest point in ‘Friends,’ the highest point in my career, and the iconic event on the classic show.”
