‘Saturday Night Live’ Honors Matthew Perry Hours After His Death

While Saturday Night Live aired just hours after news broke of Matthew Perry’s untimely death, the sketch series made sure to pay tribute to the late Friends star.

Just before the end of the show, where host Nate Bargatze closed out the episode, they displayed a title card honoring Perry, which featured a portrait of the actor in his younger years.

Perry hosted Saturday Night Live back in 1997, during season 23 of the sketch comedy series. The appearance came amid Perry’s fourth season on Friends and a few months after the release of his romantic comedy Fools Rush In, opposite Salma Hayek.

ET was on the set of Saturday night live back in 1997, ahead of the big night, and spoke with Perry as he was rehearsing and getting ready.

Perry admitted that he was still wrapping his head around getting the opportunity to host, explaining, “I was just excited, kind of like a fan, like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get to see the stage!’ And today I realized, like, ‘Oh, I have to be on the show as well!'”

Perry added that there was “a lot of fear” involved in being a part of the show.

“It doesn’t hit you that it’s a live show [at first]. It hit me that its a live show like yesterday, and I agreed to do it months ago,” Perry said with a laugh.

“It’s a really amazing thing,” Perry shared. “This is a dream come true for me, to be hosting the show.”

According to TMZ, who spoke to law enforcement, the Friends star was found dead at a house in Los Angeles, California. According to The Los Angeles Times, he was found dead in a hot tub.

ET has reached out to Perry’s reps for comment.

Perry’s final post on Instagram was a photo of him in a pool. “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” he captioned the image.

Since the news broke, celebrities have been flooding social media with tributes to the beloved actor, who starred as Chandler Bing for 10 seasons on the beloved NBC sitcom Friends.

Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement, “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”

Perry never married but was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz for six months in 2021. He is survived by his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, and his father, John Bennett Perry.

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