“This last year, he was so proud of the book he wrote, and of how many people it touched,” Graham, 56, said on a “CBS Mornings” appearance Thursday. “It was a success that gave him a level of happiness that I hadn’t seen in him for a really long time, so that’s a nice memory.
“I am still in shock. I mean, it’s a really tragic loss, and he leaves his beautiful work behind,” she continued. “That’s something to be thankful for, and again, the book really meant something to him, so it was a really happy year for him.”
The “Friends” star and the “Gilmore Girls” alum were linked in 2003, but the pair “never exactly dated.”
“No one made me laugh as hard. Just tears, streaming,” Graham added on Thursday. “There was just such joy in being around him and being his friend.”
The pair co-starred in the 2008 indie movie “Birds of America.” In 2015, they once again shared the screen when Graham appeared alongside Perry in a single episode of “The Odd Couple.” She played his ex-wife on the short-lived CBS reboot, which ran from 2015 to 2017.
Lauren Graham appeared alongside Matthew Perry in one 2015 episode of “The Odd Couple.” She played his ex-wife on the short-lived CBS reboot which ran from 2015 to 2017. CBS via Getty Images
During a Q&A for the show, the “17 Again” actor showered her with praise.
“She’s one of my favorite people,” he said. “We have great chemistry when working together and it’s fun to work with a close friend.”
One year after Graham’s “Odd Couple” appearance, she discussed the actor, in her bestselling 2016 memoir, “Talking As Fast As I Can.”
Actor Matthew Perry and actress Lauren Graham at the Sky 360 by Delta Lounge WireImage Portrait Studio on Jan. 30, 2008 in Park City, Utah. WireImageLauren Graham and Matthew Perry during the 8th Annual Lili Claire Foundation Benefit-Show Backstage at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. WireImage for Fusion PR _LA
“The only bright spot, dude-wise, was at an event where I met Matthew Perry,” she wrote. “He became my longtime Friend Who I Almost But Never Exactly Dated, or FWIABNED.”
“Happy, happy pub day, @MatthewPerry! xL,” she wrote, adding two green hearts and a shamrock emoji.
Inside the memoir, Perry included a photo of himself and Graham. The photo was simply captioned: “Me and the beautiful Lauren Graham.”
The Post confirmed in late October that the beloved “Fools Rush In” star was found deceased after officials received a phone call reporting that the actor was in his hot tub and not breathing.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department told The Post: “We responded to the 1800 block of Blue Sail Rd for a death investigation on a male 4:10 p.m. this afternoon. He was in his 50s.”
The caller’s identity has not been revealed by authorities, though TMZ reported it was Perry’s assistant, who made the call after returning from an errand.
“An adult male patient was deceased prior to first response arrival,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement obtained by The Post. “The patient was found by a bystander who had re-positioned the victim where the head was out of water.”
Read more about Matthew Perry’s life and struggles
The Emmy-nominated actor had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and was candid about his decadeslong struggle with addiction in his book.
Perry revealed that he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, went to rehab 15 times, underwent 14 surgeries related to his addictions and had been in detox 65 times.
Matthew Perry and Lauren Graham, right, pose for a portrait during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2008. AP
“The doctors told my family that I had a 2% chance to live,” Perry stated during an interview for his book last year, after claiming that he almost died in 2018 due to a gastrointestinal perforation. “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement read. “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 continued. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
The cast has since all posted individual tributes to their respective social media accounts. Perry was buried during a funeral service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles on Nov. 8.
