Tom Selleck has opened up about Matthew Perry's death as he remembers his Friends co-star.
As previously reported, Perry lost his life at the age of 54 on Saturday, October 28, when first responders discovered the actor unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence.
Authorities were alerted to the scene around 4:00PM, and despite their efforts, the actor was later declared dead, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The official cause of death was confirmed by TMZ, citing the toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Perry succumbed to "the acute effects of ketamine," with the exact method of intake remaining undetermined. Contributing factors listed include drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, used to treat opioid use disorder. The manner of death was ruled an accident.
Perry's loss was felt all across the world, as fans flocked to New York City to pay tribute to him outside of the apartment famous in the Friends series.
His colleagues and friends also paid tribute, with each of his co-stars penning heartfelt messages.
Tom Selleck, who also appeared in Friends opposite Perry, has opened up about the tragedy for the first time, as he spoke to USA Today.
Selleck, who portrayed Richard in the hit US sitcom, shared a close bond with Perry during their years on the show and spoke fondly of their friendship.
Recalling their time together on set, Selleck shared: "Everybody couldn't have been nicer to me. But every day I'd see Matthew [Perry], and I'd ask him, 'How's your father?' And he'd always smile, and we'd catch up."
"I got to know his father when I was a young struggling actor. Almost any commercial or pilot I went out on, there was John. We became real good friends," he said.
The 78-year-old actor reminisced about the unique dynamic they shared on-screen, including an episode where he had to imitate Chandler, played by Perry, and Joey, portrayed by Matt LeBlanc.
Selleck revealed: "We had this role reversal thing going, where Richard (Selleck's character) tried to be like them, and them like me."
Opening up about the challenge of portraying Chandler's sarcasm, Selleck shared an anecdote from the set. "Matthew had this speech pattern that I hadn't been aware of," he explained, acknowledging that he received personal instructions from Perry on delivering a famous line from the show.
Reflecting on Perry's acting, Selleck praised him as "raw talent" and went on to express: "Matthew's gone, so it's easy to say this, but it's true. I think he was the most talented of a very talented group of people."
