Breaking Down Keanu Reeves and Matthew Perry’s History Through the Years: From Mutual Friends to Memoir Digs

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Breaking Down Keanu Reeves and Matthew Perry’s History Through the Years: From Mutual Friends to Memoir Digs

An unexpected feud? Matthew Perry's history with Keanu Reeves became a topic of conversation following the release of Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In the memoir, which Perry released in November 2022, the Friends alum seemingly threw shade at Reeves. “River [Phoenix] was a beautiful man inside and out — too beautiful for this world, it turned out. It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down. Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?” he wrote while addressing the death of their mutual friend. The Canada native's name resurfaced again when Perry discussed Chris Farley’s December 1997 death, adding, “I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall when I found out [about Farley's death]. Keanu Reeves walks among us.” Shortly after the excerpts made headlines, the 17 Again actor issued an apology to Reeves. In his statement, Perry noted that there wasn't a specific reason why he chose the John Wick star — because he just wanted to include a "random" name. Reeves, for his part, remained tight-lipped about the unexpected mention in Perry's memoir. [jwplayer jaGzl1uz-zhNYySv2] The Go On alum rose to stardom after bringing Chandler Bing to life on Friends. The sitcom, which ran on NBC from 1994 to 2004, also starred Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. After publishing his book, Perry admitted that he didn't expect his former costars to get their own copy. “Why would they read it? I don’t know,” he told GQ in October 2022. “Because, you know, who cares? Addicts are going to care about this, and fans of Friends are going to care about this. But the cast is not going to really care about this.” At the time, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Perry previously received support from Aniston amid his personal issues. “She always took time to listen to him, even when she was busy or had her own issues to deal with,” the insider shared, noting that Perry felt like the “people who stood by him when the chips were down” were the ones who “saved his life” and “gave him the will to carry on.” Perry also previously praised the Morning Show star for showing her support, telling Diane Sawyer in October 2022, “She was the one that reached out the most. I’m really grateful to her for that.” Scroll on for a breakdown of Reeves and Perry’s history:

Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock

What Mutual Friends Did Keanu and Matthew Perry Have?

The Mr. Sunshine alum collaborated with Reeves' longtime pal River Phoenix on his first movie titled A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. While filming the 1988 film, Perry and Phoenix took their onscreen friendship off screen.

Five years later, the musician passed away at age 23 following an overdose. “River was a beautiful man inside and out and too beautiful for this world, it turned out," Perry wrote in his 2022 memoir. "It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down."

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

How Did Matthew Mention Keanu in His Memoir?

The Massachusetts native took several digs at Reeves in reference to other people's deaths. After working with Farley on Almost Heroes, Perry mentioned the comedian's 1997 death in his memoir.

“I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall when I found out [about Farley's death]," Perry, who has previously battled addiction, wrote in Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Have Keanu and Matthew Perry Worked Together on Any Projects?

Based on their past filmography, the twosome have never crossed paths professionally on any TV or movie sets.

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Did Matthew Have a Response to the Backlash?

"I'm actually a big fan of Keanu. I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead," Perry said in a statement shortly after excerpts from his book made headlines. 

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Has Keanu Weighed In on Matthew's Digs?

In November 2022, a source exclusively told Us that the Matrix actor wasn't expecting to be mentioned in Perry's book. “Keanu thought the comments came out of left field," the insider shared at the time. "It's kind of backfired on Matthew anyway, which is why he had to apologize."