'Friends' cast 'reeling' from sudden death of 'brother' Matthew Perry: source

Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles residence on Saturday. (Image: Friends/Instagram)

The cast of popular American sitcom “Friends” are “reeling” from the death of their beloved “brother” Matthew Perry, a source told Page Six.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc are preparing to release a joint statement on Perry’s sudden demise. The actor was found dead at his Los Angeles residence on Saturday. He was 54.

“The cast is reeling from the loss of their brother, because that’s what Matty was — their brother,” an industry source told Page Six. “It’s just devastating.”

“The entire cast are close, they will be devastated, because they were together through the best of times and worst of times,” the source said.

“And when Matty was sick, they protected him, they looked him after him fiercely.”

Meanwhile, Perry’s family spoke out following his death and said, “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” the family told People in a statement.

“Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love,” they added.

On Sunday, “Friends” co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and EP Kevin Bright shared a statement with ET. "We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives."

"He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment - not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart,” they added.

"We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken,” they concluded.

Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on “Friends”, died from apparent drowning, according to US media reports. He is survived by his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, and his father, John Bennett Perry.