Jennifer Aniston's embrace and tears: Matthew Perry's sister recalls his funeral
Matthew Perry (photo: Getty Images)
Matthew Perry's sister, Mia Bowick, has shared memories of his funeral. Her account is featured in Netflix's new documentary series "The One About Matthew Perry," which explores the actor's life, his battle with addiction, and his final years.
Perry's sister about his funeral
Documentary director Mary Robertson described Bowick's goodbye to her brother as one of the project's most powerful scenes. She said the memories were painful and emotionally difficult to revisit.
The actor's sister recalled an unexpected moment when she began laughing in the middle of the funeral. At that moment, she felt as though Matthew was beside her, speaking to her.
"He showed up right behind my right shoulder and goes, 'How f**ked up is this?' Oh my god—there he is! Making me laugh at the most horrible moment, and also incredibly inappropriate for me to start laughing … But I just started cracking up," she recalled.
Robertson noted that laughter at funerals is not uncommon and does not diminish the depth of grief. In her view, the story reflects Perry's personality, his legacy, and the human ability to respond to pain in different ways.
Mia Perry Bowick (a still from the documentary series)
How 'Friends' cast said goodbye to Matthew Perry
In the series, Mia also recalled meeting her brother's co-stars. She had not seen them in about 20 years. Jennifer Aniston approached her first.
"[Jennifer] Aniston was the first one of them to come up to me and give me a huge hug. But, they all did," she shared.
Later, all five of them approached Matthew's casket, holding hands and unable to hold back their tears.
Aniston and Perry in "Friends" (a still from the series)
Details of documentary series about Matthew Perry
The project tells the actor's rise to fame through the accounts of his sister and friends, covering his work on the popular sitcom, relationships, addiction, and death.
The cast of "Friends" and the rest of Perry's family do not appear on camera. Robertson said the team reached out to the sitcom's cast members and invited them to participate in filming, but they declined. The team respected their decision.
The actor's stepfather, Keith Morrison, also declined to participate. Robertson believes everyone experiences loss differently and understands why some people may not be ready to discuss it publicly.
Perry's sister, however, felt now was the time to speak openly about her brother, from the pain of losing him to the moments that made her laugh.
Netflix's documentary series "The One About Matthew Perry" consists of three episodes and premieres on October 27.
What we know about Matthew Perry's decease
Matthew Perry died in October 2023 at the age of 54. His death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine.
Law enforcement officials identified five people involved in illegally supplying the drug to Perry. All five were sentenced, including the actor's personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, intermediary Erik Fleming, and drug dealer Jasveen Sangha.
The actor was buried on November 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
