Matthew Perry's 'Friends' castmates say his loss is 'utterly devastating'

Matthew Perry's "Friends" castmates on Monday called his death "an unfathomable loss" that has left them "utterly devastated."

"We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer said in a joint statement.

"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," they group continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Perry died Saturday of an apparent drowning at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, at age 54, a representative for Perry and a law enforcement source told NBC News.

A 911 call came in at 4:07 p.m. local time and was treated as a water rescue, Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott said in a statement.

The responders found "an adult male unconscious in a stand-alone hot tub. A bystander had brought the man’s head above the water and gotten him to the edge, then Firefighters removed him from the water upon their arrival,” he said.

"A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival."

The Los Angeles County medical examiner on Sunday deferred finding a cause of death until toxicology results are complete. That could take three to four months, the medical examiner's office told NBC News.

The beloved actor was known for his zingy one-liners and comedic timing in his role as Chandler Bing on the long-running ’90s sitcom "Friends," as well as for his vulnerability in sharing his battle with alcohol and opioid addiction.

Last year, he released his memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” detailing his addiction journey and rehab and a near-death experience in 2019 after his colon burst as a result of his use of opioids.

In an interview with the “Q with Tom Power podcast” last year to promote his memoir, Perry said he didn’t want to be remembered for his "Friends" legacy after his death.

“The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says: 'I can’t stop drinking. Can you help me?' I can say yes and follow up and do it, and I’ve said this for a long time: When I die, I don’t want 'Friends' to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that,” Perry said.

Tributes have poured in.

Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler Bing’s girlfriend Janice in “Friends,” said Perry died too soon and will be missed by everyone who knew him in real life and on the screen.

She noted the struggles Perry shared in his memoir and said she hoped he was at peace.

“Matthew was an incredibly generous actor. There was no single time I stepped onto a stage with him that I did not feel lifted by his brilliance,” she said. “Even in his darkest moments his comedic timing was impeccable.”

“Friends” co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, along with executive producer Kevin Bright, said Sunday in a joint statement: “It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.”

“He was a brilliant talent. 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," they said. "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. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart."

"We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken," the statement concluded.

In addition to "Friends," which he joined at age 24, Perry also starred in the shows “Boys Will Be Boys,” “Growing Pains,” Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The West Wing” and “Scrubs” and movies including “Fools Rush In,” “Three to Tango” and “17 Again.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com