Heartbroken Friends Creators Honor “Brilliant” Matthew Perry

This is the one that no one wanted to experience.

After Matthew Perry‘s sudden and shocking death, Friends‘ co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane as well as executive producer Kevin Bright paid tribute to their fallen star.

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they shared in a statement. “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.”

After all, could he be any funnier?

“He was a brilliant talent,” the trio continued. “It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.”

“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment—not just to his work, but in life as well,” Kauffman, Crane and Bright wrote. “He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”