Matthew Perry is sending his love – and a laugh – to his longtime pal Bruce Willis amid the latter’s recent diagnosis of aphasia.
“Dear Bruce Willis, I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through, but you’re still the coolest man I’ve met in my entire life,” said Perry, 52, tweeted on Thursday. “You will remain in my prayers for a long time.”
The Friends star ended her sweet post by referring to the 2004 crime comedy The Whole Ten Yards, in which the actors starred.
“Maybe we should sit down and watch the whole 10 yards and get a few hours sleep,” Perry quipped of the infamous flop.
The two first met on the set of the original film The Whole Nine Yards, which was released in 2000.
In the film, Perry played a dentist, while the now 67-year-old Die Hard star was cast as a hitman. They struck up a friendship both on and off screen.
Rumor has it that while Willis was skeptical that the original film would be a hit, Perry was convinced, so they made a bet that if the film was a box office hit, Willis would appear on Friends – for free.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, The Whole Nine Yards grossed a whopping $106 million.
“I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through, but you’re still the coolest man I’ve met in my entire life,” Perry said. © Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett C
Later that year, Willis appeared on Season 6 of the NBC sitcom, playing the father-turned-girlfriend of Ross Gellar’s (David Schwimmer) student.
His three-episode cameo performance was adored by fans as much as it was by the television academy when he won his second Emmy for performance.
Willis’ publicist later confirmed that the actor donated his entire Friends paycheck (the amount was undisclosed) to five charities.
As for the rumored bet, the Pulp Fiction star finally confirmed that’s why he appeared on his friend’s show, though he didn’t go into specifics.
“I was on ‘Friends’ because I lost a bet to Matthew Perry,” the actor told Wired in 2018.
Willis’ family announced on Wednesday that he has aphasia. Courtesy of the Everett Collection
Willis has received congratulations from fans and peers alike since his family announced his aphasia diagnosis on Wednesday.
Aphasia affects a person’s cognitive functioning, including their ability to speak, write, and understand both verbal and written language. It usually occurs after a stroke or head injury, although the actor’s family hasn’t elaborated on its cause.
They simply said he was retiring from his decades-long career and asked for “continued love, compassion and support.”