The cast of “Friends” took to Instagram this week to share touching tributes to costar Matthew Perry, who died last month in his Los Angeles home.
Matt LeBlanc, who had a close relationship on and off screen with Perry, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday that he “will always smile” when he thinks of his late friend, and will “never forget” him. The actor and Newton native also shared a collection of photos from their time on the hit NBC sitcom.
“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” wrote LeBlanc. “The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.
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“Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free,” he added. “Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Courteney Cox also paid tribute to Perry Tuesday, sharing a memorable scene from “Friends” featuring their characters Monica and Chandler.
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote on Instagram. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.”
Cox went on to explain that she chose the scene because it marked the beginning of their characters’ love story on the sitcom.
“To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London,” wrote Cox. “But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story.
“In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say,” she added. “He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”
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Jennifer Aniston shared her own tribute Wednesday, sharing a lengthy message in an Instagram post, accompanied by behind the scenes photos and a heartfelt text message exchange between the “Friends” costars.
“Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” Aniston wrote.
David Schwimmer also broke his silence Wednesday, writing on Instagram, “Thank you for ten incredible years of laughter and creativity.”
The social tributes are the first public statements by the main cast members of “Friends” since their joint statement released last month.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” the cast said in the statement. “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.”
Matt Juul can be reached at matt.juul@globe.com.