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Manhattan apartment building becomes makeshift vigil for late ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 29, 2023
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ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 29, 2023
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Waves of people gathered outside a Manhattan apartment building on Sunday to pay respects to the late Matthew Perry, the actor who portrayed Chandler Bing on “Friends.”
The corner of Bedford and Grove streets in Greenwich Village became a makeshift vigil for Perry, who was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. He was 54 years old.
“It’s a sobering moment — it’s very, very sad, but what he meant and what he showed through his character as Chandler Bing, and throughout his life, meant a lot,” said Sebastian Vandersper, a student from NYU, who visited the vigil on Sunday.
Messages are left for actor Matthew Perry outside the apartment building which was used as the exterior shot in the TV show "Friends" in New York on Oct. 29, 2023.
ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images
Chandler — and the rest of the main cast of characters on the popular ‘90s sitcom surrounding the lives of twenty-somethings living in the city — spent their time at the apartment building depicted at 90 Bedford St. Despite taking place in New York City, most of the filming of “Friends” took place in Los Angeles, though footage of the Greenwich Village building’s exterior can be seen on the show.
“I have a lot of friends who are deeply connected to the show — we all took a lot of comfort in it,” said Bella Margreiter, a longtime fan of the show, adding that her parents were watching the series finale when her mother went into labor.
Margreiter, who lives in London, said the show “is a reason why a lot of people move to New York,” adding that it shaped how people abroad view the city.
Matthew Perry speaks about his book with Matt Brennan during the 28th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Following the news of Perry’s sudden death over the weekend, fans of the TV show headed to the popular tourist spot to leave flowers, messages and reflect on the actor's legacy. By late afternoon, dozens of bouquets were left on the street along with a cardboard sign reading, “The One Where We All Lost A Friend” — a nod to the show’s episode title format.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. An investigation into the cause of death is currently underway, though the local authorities told the Los Angeles Times that there are no suspicions of foul play.
One note is written in the style of how each episode of "Friends" was titled.
Giulia Heyward
“You think about ‘Friends,’ you think about New York and when you think about New York, you think about ‘Friends,’” said Achille Truchot, who moved to the city a year ago from Paris, France, adding that he’s rewatched the series four times over the past five years. “‘Friends’ is, for me. the number-one TV show ever created.”
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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