Friends director reveals cast were ‘destroyed’ by news of Matthew Perry’s death

Friends director Jim Burrows said he texted the cast when they found out about Matthew Perry's death, saying they were 'destroyed'.

Perry shot to fame as Chandler Bing on the 90s sitcom, where Burrows directed the first four episodes.

The whole team behind the series are thought to have remained close after Friends came to an end 2004 - the cast in particular.

With this in mind, the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc have been left heartbroken by Perry's passing.

In a joint statement, they said: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates.

"We are a family.

"There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

"In time we will say more, as and when we are able.

"For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

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Doubling down on the family aspect, Burrows said that they had lost a 'brother' in Perry.

He told Today: "I had texted the girls the day we found out.

"They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”

Burrows added: "I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in.

"He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore."

The director - also known for working on the likes of Frazier, Cheers and Will & Grace - went on to describe the Perry as 'a wonderful actor, a funny man and a dear friend to a lot of people'.

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Today also spoke to Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane.

Recalling their final conversation with him, Kauffman told the news outlet: "He was great. He was happy and chipper, he didn't seem weighed down by anything.

"He was in a really good place which is why this seems so unfair."

Elsewhere, in an initial statement after Perry's untimely passing, Kauffman and Crane hailed the late actor as 'a brilliant talent'.

“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,” they said in a joint statement with executive producer and director Kevin Bright.

“This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”