Matthew Perry Wrote About Late River Phoenix in Memoir

In his memoirs, Matthew Perry recalled his friendship with co-star River Phoenix and the actor’s untimely death.

Friends The actor died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 54. Friends, Lovers and the Big Scary Thing Released in November 2022, Perry called Phoenix “beautiful” and shared how they became fast friends while filming the 1988 film. A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.

Tuesday marks 30 years since Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Oct. 31, 1993, at the age of 23.

Perry wrote that Phoenix “personifies beauty in every way” and “makes me feel too comfortable to be jealous of her.” Perry said the project was her first job and that she was 17 when filming took place in Chicago – “and the best part about this incredibly magical time was that River and I became firm friends.”

“River was a beautiful man inside and out; he turned out to be too beautiful for this world. It always seems like truly talented men go under,” Perry wrote.

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He also recalled learning about Phoenix’s death, which occurred outside the Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood.

“I heard screaming from my apartment, went back to bed and woke up to the news,” Perry recalled. “After his death, his mother wrote, referring to his drug use: ‘Spirits [River’s] the generation is wearing out’ and by then I was drinking every night. But it would take me years to understand exactly what he meant.”

On Tuesday, Phoenix’s mother, Arlyn “Heart,” shared a photo of her late son on Instagram to commemorate three decades since his death. She wrote that she “is a voice for the voiceless and has the courage to use her fame to make a difference.”

“Whether it was human rights, animal rights, women’s rights, racial justice, environmentalism, or any wrong that needed to be righted, he was there,” she wrote.

In her memoir, Perry spoke candidly about struggling with alcoholism and addiction while in the spotlight. She told PEOPLE in 2022 why she felt compelled to share her story in the book and help others.

“I wanted to share once I was free from re-entering the dark side of things,” he said at the time. “I had to wait until I was fairly safely sober and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction to write it all down. And the point was, I was pretty sure it was going to help people.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Memoirs of Matthew Perry Friends, Lovers and the Big Scary Thing It is now available wherever books are sold.

For more on Matthew Perry, pick up the latest issue. PEOPLEOn newsstands Friday