Two of Matthew Perry’s former castmates have issued poignant tributes to the Friends star, in their first public comments since his shock death two weeks ago.

Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc posted their heartfelt statements to their Instagram accounts on Tuesday (US time).

“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favourite times of my life,” LeBlanc wrote.

“It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never.
Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love.

“And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”

Cox, meanwhile, shared a clip of one of her most famous scenes with Perry, showing the pair in bed together. She said she was “grateful for every moment” they shared – and revealed a secret about the romance of characters Monica and Chandler.

“When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favourites,” she wrote.

“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one-night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story.

“In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”

Perry, 54, played wisecracking Chandler Bing on Friends with Cox and LeBlanc – as well as fellow co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer – from 1994 to 2004.

He was found dead in his Los Angeles home late last month, generating an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow celebrities. Los Angeles authorities are still investigating the cause of his death.

Until Tuesday, the only public comment from Perry’s co-stars had been a joint statement issued in the days after the discovery of his body.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” it said.

“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

“In time we will say more, as and when we are able.”

The surviving cast were among the friends and family who attended Perry’s funeral at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, near the Warner Brothers studio where Friends was filmed.

It is also the final resting place of numerous Hollywood A-listers including Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor.

Page Six said Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, also attended.

Perry’s death came one year after publication of his memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, which chronicled his decades-long struggle with addiction to prescription painkillers and alcohol. At the time, Perry said he had been sober for about 18 months.

Since his death, a foundation in Perry’s name has been launched to support people struggling with addiction.

The Matthew Perry Foundation “will honour his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible”, according its website.

The website leads with a quote from Perry.

“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned,” it says.

-with AAP