How the ‘Friends’ Cast Will Celebrate the Show’s 30th Anniversary Without Matthew Perry

The Friends cast is gearing up for several exciting milestones, but it’s going to be a “bittersweet” moment for former co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. The beloved ’90s sitcom will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in September, in addition to the 20th of the series finale in May; however, the cast will be missing one crucial member: Matthew Perry, who died last October.

A source told Us Weekly that the longtime pals have grown even closer since Perry’s death and are planning something special for the upcoming dates. “They were the rare cast from a smash hit sitcom who meant it when they said they were just as close off-screen as they were on,” the insider said. “The prospect of having a reunion or a formal get-together without Matthew is bittersweet.”

“There will be a huge void,” the source added, referring to Perry’s absence. “[But] they know Matthew would’ve wanted them to carry on and celebrate the show. So that’s very much on their minds as they move forward.”

The one-year anniversary of the actor’s death will be one month after the sitcom turns 30. Perry drowned on Oct. 28 at his Pacific Palisades home, and later, the cause of death was revealed to be acute effects of ketamine, effects from buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid addiction), and coronary artery disease. Following his death, Aniston “was in pieces for months,” according to the source. “Even now it’s something she finds difficult to reconcile.”

The five have also kept in close contact in “group chats” and “one-on-ones” since Perry’s passing— “Jen and Courteney are in constant contact and they’re both close with Lisa, too”—and have also had “ongoing discussions” about the anniversaries, specifically the finale’s 20th anniversary, which is just weeks away.

“They will most certainly be commemorating it somehow,” the source said, saying they will likely post about the milestone on social media, as well as celebrate it together privately. “For all their individual successes after Friends, nothing else comes even close to that experience. They continue to look back on it with a huge amount of love, and of course they’ll be giving Matthew credit for everything he contributed.”