Matthew Perry circa 1985

I believe he was 16 in this picture. Aw.

Martha And Matthew

So, a LOT of the pics of Matthew Perry were basically a game of WAIT, DID THEY DATE? I couldn't always tell. And I decided this was maybe not the time to play a game. But: aw.

1987

Here he's promoting his first sitcom, Second Chances, about a man who dies and is sent back to Earth by St. Peter to help his younger self make better choices. Matthew Perry played the young "Chazz" and I feel like no one is less of a Chazz than Matthew Perry. Odd fact: The show made a throwaway prediction of Colonel Gaddafi dying in 2011 of multiple gunshot wounds, and Gaddafi did in fact die of multiple gunshot wounds in 2011. Eerie.

1988 with Christina Applegate

HOW GOOD IS THIS PHOTO. I am sure Christina Applegate would scream and also that she'd want it on her piano.

Birthday Party for Valerie Bertinelli

This had to be 1990 -- it's from the set of Sydney, a show about Valerie as a P.I. going back home from the Big City. Craig Bierko played her uptight lawyer client and Matthew played her protective older brother. I honestly would have flipped that casting, although he and Valerie ARE good visually as siblings.

1992

What a tie.

1994

He and Matt LeBlanc are at a charity hockey event benefiting the homeless. I sincerely need to understand more about whether Matt's jacket is THAT cropped or his tee is just THAT long.

1994, with Matt LeBlanc

He was big into hockey, and I think still played quite a bit around town with the other Canadians. And some Americans. If I'm remembering correctly, my friend here from Michigan often ended up playing with him and, like, Michael Vartan, and stuff.

1995

More hockey, this time with Jason Priestley. Could this BE any more 1995?

with Jennifer Aniston, 1995

But... sir, WHAT IS THAT TIE.

Emmys, 1995

Look at The Rachel in action! I quite enjoy his waistcoat. I guess we can do a trivia question: Who are the four actors to win Emmys for Friends? I'll answer it on another slide.

Same night. I just wanted to pay tribute to Monica's spiky 90s coif also, plus the fact that they were close.

1995 People's Choice Awards

Well, they DID operate as a group, so maybe picking all black -- except for Matthew's vest again -- was deliberate.

1995

The little white tank under the sundress is also just deeply 90s. This is so cute. Put this on your piano, Jennifer.

1996 Golden Globes: Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox

And who is the actor to win a Golden Globe for Friends? Answer to come! MWA HA HA. They all look nice here. Also, there isn't another Golden Globes slide in here so I'll just tell you that it's Jennifer Aniston.

Matthew Perry, Julia Roberts

Supposedly they did date, briefly? JULIA!!! made her cameo in the Super Bowl episode in 1996.

1996

Look at the cardigan vest! Look at Joey's sunglasses! I wish I could also look at whatever THEY are looking at.

1997 Emmys

TRIVIA ANSWER: Lisa Kudrow won for Best Supporting Actress in 1998 (when they all submitted in this category). Jennifer Aniston won for Lead Actress in 2002, the year they switched up the category submissions. The other two Emmys were to Bruce Willis (2000), and Christina Applegate (2003) -- interestingly, both in storylines tied to Aniston's character Rachel.

1999 SAG Awards

They won Best Ensemble in 1996 and 2000. Here, again, they're all in the same color, so this must have been collusion. Someone should have colluded Jennifer out of wearing that napkin.

1999-2000 cast picture

MATTHEW YOUR TIES ARE CURIOUS.

Matthew Perry and sister Emily, 2000

I hope Emily has THIS photo somewhere, from the premiere of The Whole Nine Yards.

Matthew Perry, Emily, and mom Suzanne, 2001

I felt like nice family photos was the right vibe.

"Spider-Man" Premiere, with sister Madeline, 2002

And another one for another sister! What a cool experience he gave her.

2002

Matthew was also an avid tennis player -- that was his guest slot on 90210, too -- and nobody who plays tennis escapes this website without an awkward action photo. IT IS THE LAW.

2002 Emmys

I BELIEVE Jennifer won for Season 8, where Rachel is pregnant, and which ends with her having the baby and also thinking Joey has proposed. At the time of accepting this Emmy, the NEXT season was about to premiere -- season 9.

with Aisha Tyler and Kate Bosworth, 2003

This was fun because I didn't know these three people knew each other! Except, wait, I totally did, because Aisha Tyler is on Friends near the end. NEVER MIND. Kate was not on Friends, though. DID THEY DATE? (I don't think so. Also I promised I wasn't gonna play that, so again, never mind.)

2004

Sniffle.

2004

And he liked stripes! Dapper! This was at the Wimbledon premiere, which leads so nicely into our next photo.

2004

I just simply refuse to pass up tennis photos.

2006, with Sarah Paulson and Amanda Peet

These three were on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip together. It was execrable. Amanda Peet was good on it, but Sarah Paulson's character was kind of insufferable (not her fault at all). Aaron Sorkin dated Kristin Chenoweth and SUPPOSEDLY he based Matthew Perry and Sarah Paulson on them?

Lauren Graham, Matthew Perry, 2006

They DID date, supposedly! In like 2003. She appeared in guest spots in several of his shows -- The Odd Couple, Studio 60, and I believe Go On. They must have been close -- he said he adored her -- and she's gotta be very sad this week.

with Laura Benanti, 2012

And this is for Go On.

2012

Tyler James Williams is still a decade away from Abbott Elementary here!

with Yvette Nicole Brown, Thomas Lennon

This is so sweet -- he's making them laugh so hard, which feels like the right legacy.

2023

He's at the Festival of Books here, looking happy and proud of his memoir. Happy trails, Miss Bong. This is how we'll want to remember you: smiling and strong.

Miss Chanandler Bong Will Never Truly Leave Us

R.I.P., Matthew Perry.