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"We were really early on and trying to find our feet. And it was such a tremendous vote of confidence," Fox recalled. "And it wasn't accompanied by any self-aggrandizing or anything, he was just like, 'Take it and do your best. And I loved that."
Michael J. Fox is reflecting on his friendship with the late Matthew Perry.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at a fundraising benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Cure Parkinson's Gala, over the weekend, the actor reacted to Perry's previous comments about how he influenced his career, while also revealing one of late Friends star's "tremendous" acts of generosity.
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View Story"Matthew and I had spent some time together over the years," Fox, 62, recalled. "He was a hockey player, a good hockey player, and we played hockey together."
"I hope this isn't indiscreet... but when they first made their big sale [on their Friends contracts] and were made millionaires for the rest of their lives, he wrote a big fat check to the foundation," continued Fox, who founded the Matthew J. Fox Foundation in 2000. "We were really early on and trying to find our feet. And it was such a tremendous vote of confidence. And it wasn't accompanied by any self-aggrandizing or anything, he was just like, 'Take it and do your best. And I loved that."
He added of Perry, "He was just a funny guy, and if I was ever as funny as him -- I mean, he was the funniest -- I'm happy I had an impact on him. He was a funny guy."
Last year, Perry opened up about how Fox was an inspiration to him when he was a teen.
"I was young, I had done a couple of plays in school, and Michael J. Fox was it, man. When I was in ninth grade, Michael J. Fox had just done Back to the Future, and there was smoke coming out of my ears, I was so jealous of this guy," he said during a November 2022 event promoting his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. "And he had, at the time, the No. 1 TV show and the No. 1 movie at the same time! So he was huge. And I don't know anybody else who's done that -- except me."
On October 28, Perry passed away at the age of 54 after an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home.
Immediately upon the news of his death, social media was flooded with tributes to the 54-year-old actor, whose life and work had touched millions across the globe.
Many of the posts were from colleagues who had worked with Perry over the years, including his Friends family, who released a joint statement following his passing.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," the cast said in their statement to PEOPLE. "There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," they began. "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," the group continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
Perry's funeral took place earlier this month, with the late actor being laid to rest at Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills. His Friends costars were among those in attendance.
