Real reason Friends cast is missing from Netflix’s The One About Matthew Perry documentary

As a long-time Friends fan, Netflix’s new Matthew Perry documentary is a hard watch, but one of the first things I wondered was why Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer are missing from it.

The One About Matthew Perry is a three-part series about the actor who made us laugh as Chandler Bing. It features stories from people who knew him best, including his younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, who speaks about her brother on camera for the first time.

So, why aren’t any of his five Friends co-stars in the doc?

Director Mary Robertson has confirmed that all five actors were approached about taking part in the documentary, but they decided not to participate. Speaking to The New York Times, she said, “We know the Friends cast loves Matthew and is grieving Matthew. We did approach them about participation. They decided not to participate.”

The actors have not publicly explained their individual reasons for turning down the documentary. But an anonymous source told Page Six that revisiting Perry’s death on camera could be particularly difficult for Jennifer Aniston.

“There’s no way Jen would ever do something like that,” the insider said. “She isn’t going to sit down and start crying on camera. She doesn’t want to relive it and have it be so public.”

Another source told New Idea, “It’s still too raw. Jen and Lisa are still unable to speak about Matthew without breaking down. It’s way too soon for them to do this. Even Matt and David weren’t comfortable about it.”

The source added, “They want to honour Matthew on their own terms, in their own time and not dilute anyone else’s message or memories about him. They’re going to do their own special, but they’re not going to be pushed either. This was a man they group hugged every day for a decade. This will never stop being a deeply personal loss for Jen and co.”

Although the five co-stars do not give new interviews, they still appear in archival footage from Friends. The documentary also features Jeff Strauss, a producer and writer who worked on the sitcom, alongside people who knew Perry away from the show.

The cast have paid tribute to Matthew after his death

Although none of the five actors gives a new interview in the documentary, they’ve all shared tributes to Perry since his death in October 2023, aged 54.

Jennifer Aniston shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram, describing the loss as an “insane wave of emotions” and writing, “And we loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA. We were always the 6 of us. This was a chosen family that forever changed the course of who we were and what our path was going to be.”

Matt LeBlanc’s tribute was equally personal, as he remembered the time they spent working together and their friendship. “It was an honour to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never,” he wrote on Instagram.

Courtney Cox also wrote, “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day. He was funny and he was kind.”

Meanwhile, Lisa Kudrow thanked Perry for making her laugh until her muscles ached and tears streamed down her face, and for “the best 10 years a person gets to have”.

David Schwimmer also shared a heartfelt tribute to Perry, thanking him for “ten incredible years of laughter and creativity”. “I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery,” he wrote. He then added that Perry had a generous heart and helped the six actors “create a family out of six strangers”.