The View is honoring the late Matthew Perry after his unexpected death over the weekend. The Hot Topics table looked back on Perry’s life and legacy on this morning’s episode, including his recent appearance on The View just last year, when he stopped by to promote his memoir.
Whoopi Goldberg told viewers that she and her co-hosts were “beyond heartbroken” after the Friends star was found dead at age 54 in an apparent drowning on Saturday (Oct. 28).
“We were very lucky to have him here last year,” Goldberg said, referring to Perry’s View interview, which took place last November. At the time, he told the panel that working on Friends helped with his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.
“I said to myself, ‘I’m on this amazing show, you can’t have the 17th drink when you have to be at work the next morning with these wonderful people and doing the job,’” Perry told The View at the time. “I had a deal with myself that I would never drink or take anything while working and I held up to that deal but I was insanely hungover doing the work.”
After playing a clip of his appearance on the show, the co-hosts took a moment to honor the late star.
“He was quite something and really a funny guy. Really good, funny guy,” Goldberg said, while Alyssa Farah Griffin mentioned the now-viral clip of Perry sharing in 2020 that he hoped to be remembered for helping people, not just for his acting legacy.
Sunny Hostin reminded the panel that Perry had given up his Malibu home and “made it into a rehab center,” adding, “Having had so much addiction in my own family, as many of you know, that is so needed, for someone to be able to see you and be able to help you.
”Ana Navarro then suggested that viewers watching today’s episode “honor” Perry in their own way: “If you’re watching this program right now and you know someone who is struggling with addiction or you yourself are struggling with addiction, reach out,” she said.
She added, “You don’t have to be alone. And carrying burdens is easier when you do it with others.”
Sara Haines commended Perry for being public and open about his “battle” with addiction, noting that everyone knew about the “hard work” he had done over the years.
Goldberg closed out the tribute with her own kind words.
“He wanted the best for people, so let’s hope for the best in his passing,” she said.
The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
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