Months before his passing, Matthew Perry sought to bring joy to Lauren Graham.
The 57-year-old former Gilmore Girls star shared details of their lasting friendship with the late Friends actor, posting a picture of a thoughtful birthday gift he gave her in March 2023-seven months before he passed away at 54.
Graham revealed that Perry gave her a pickleball set: “He was really into tennis and pickleball.” She said this while answering questions during her book tour for “Have I Told You This Already?” at Lincoln Theatre on April 5 in Washington, D.C.
Accompanying the gift was a birthday card with a humorous note that read, “Be older.”
His friend and mentor, Matt Manasse, informed him that the morning before, Perry was out of his element, playing the favorite sport he loves so much—pickleball.
According to Manasse, Perry “fell in love with the sport” and intended to use it for his recovery. In October 2023, authorities discovered Perry dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence. An autopsy described his death as “acute effects of ketamine” that caused accidental drowning. In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry opened up about his personal life, including his struggles with a prescription drug and alcohol addiction.
Graham and Perry’s friendship blossomed during the filming of the 2008 movie Birds of America.
Reflecting on the relationship during a post from her book tour, Graham called Perry a “friend and a constant” in her life. She explained that they had spoken recently before his passing, and that Perry had been there over the years. Graham had said that Perry was very funny; “Nojson made me laugh as hard.” She remembered the way Perry brought joy into her life, and they shared the moments of their friendship.
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