Lisa Kudrow ‘only realised how great Friends was’ when Matthew Perry died

Lisa Kudrow played Phoebe Buffay in sitcom Friends for 10 years, starring alongside Matthew Perry who tragically passed away at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles in 2023

Friends star Lisa Kudrow has said she only appreciated how great the sitcom was when co-star Matthew Perry died.

Lisa, 62, described how the success of the programme only hit home nearly 10 years after it ended. She watched the show again after the passing of Matthew, 54, who was discovered unresponsive at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles in October 2023.

Lisa, who played Phoebe Buffay in the long-running sitcom, said: “After Matthew died I watched the show again. Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better. But for the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was. I felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They had me laughing so hard. And then Matthew – he was just beyond us all.”

The actress spoke in the wake of the sentencing of a Los Angeles woman dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” for selling Matthew the drugs that killed him. Jasveen Sangha was jailed for 15 years earlier this month.

READ MORE: ‘Ketamine Queen rang me just before Matthew Perry’s death – her double life floored me’READ MORE: Lisa Kudrow’s heartbreaking admission about being forgotten Friend

Now, mum-of-one Lisa, herself born in Los Angeles, has told how Matthew’s death has affected her hugely in the past few years. Speaking to The Times, the actress described Matthew as “a genius”.

But the gifted actor, who was also in Ally McBeal, The West Wing and numerous films, had issues with alcohol well before he was famous and with opioids, cocaine and ketamine thereafter.

Lisa, who become mates with Matthew through their work on Friends between 1994 and 2004, wrote the foreword to the star’s powerful memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Terrible Big Thing. In it, she said she hadn’t realised just how deep his struggles with addiction went.

And so Lisa said rewatching Friends became particularly painful. Despite this, she now recognises just how successful the sitcom was, and has fond memories.

The star, who was in dark comedy film The Parenting last year, continued: “Because there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”

Ahead of Sangha’s sentencing earlier this month, Matthew’s stepmother Debbie Perry called for her to be given the harshest possible jail sentence. She said: “Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”

Authorities found dozens of ketamine vials during a raid at Sangha’s home on 19 March 2024, which prosecutors described as a “drug-selling emporium”. Methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax was also found.

‘Ketamine Queen’ Sangha is the fifth defendant in the Perry to take a plea deal and admit guilt. Five were charged in connection with the case – doctors Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of the star, and Sangha.