Lauren Graham reveals ‘friend and constant’ Matthew Perry’s last birthday gift to her

Lauren Graham has shared with fans the final gift she was given by Matthew Perry before his untimely death.

The Gilmore Girls star, 57, recently opened up about her longtime friendship with the late Friends actor, who passed away on 28 October 2023 aged 54. Speaking at an event for her book Have I Told You This Already? in Washington, DC, Graham admitted that it’s “still really hard to believe” Perry’s death.

“While he was not technically ever a boyfriend, he was an almost in my life,” Graham said during the Q&A event at the Lincoln Theater, per Deadline. The Parenthood alum also reportedly described Perry as “a friend and a constant” in her life. For her birthday in March 2023, Graham revealed that Perry had bought her a pickleball set, along with a card that read: “Be older.”

“He’s, like, really into tennis and pickleball,” she said, calling his death “a terrible loss”.

While promoting her own book, which was originally published in November 2022, she reflected on the positive reception that Perry’s 2022 memoir – titled Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing – also received at the time. In his autobiography, Perry detailed his sobriety journey and decades-long battle with alcoholism and addiction to prescription painkillers.

“The solace I take from having seen him at the time I saw him was he was so thrilled with how his book was received – and not just because it was a huge success, but because his life’s work kind of became, ‘How can I give back? How can I talk about the struggles I had and hopefully help someone else?’” she shared.

A photo of Perry and Graham also appeared in his memoir, with the caption: “Me and the beautiful Lauren Graham.”

The fellow actors began their years-long friendship after meeting on the set of the 2008 film, Birds of America. Graham went on to guest star in several of Perry’s TV shows over the years, including Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Odd Couple, and Go On. Speaking during the Q&A session, Graham revealed the pair had just reconnected several months before his death. “We would stretch for a year, then he would come back in my life, and he had just come back in my life last year,” she said.

Graham has previously spoken about her sweet friendship with the 17 Again star. Just one month after his death, she recalled Perry being just as funny offscreen as he was onscreen. “No one made me laugh as hard,” Graham said during an appearance onCBS Mornings. “I mean, just tears streaming. There was just such joy in being around him and being his friend.”

Last October, Perry – best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the 90s sitcom Friends – was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles. An autopsy reporter later listed his cause of death as “acute effects of ketamine,” according to ABC News, and it was ruled an accident.

In addition to Graham, all of Perry’s Friends co-stars have since paid tribute to the actor. Following the news of his passing, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow released a joint statement asking for time to “process this unfathomable loss”.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” they wrote. “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

Perry had been open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction in his memoir. Following 15 stints in rehab and therapy sessions, he described himself as “pretty healthy” by June 2022 and said he was motivated to help others struggling with addiction.

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.