Matthew Perry Apologizes For Commenting Why Keanu Reeves 'Still Walks Among Us' In New Memoir

Matthew Perry has apologized for the comments that he made regarding Keanu Reeves.

In an excerpt from his new memoir - Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing - the 53-year-old actor questioned why Keanu Reeves "still walks among us" when other actors Perry believes are "original thinkers" have died.

The excerpt, which was published by Page Six on October 25, reads: "Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?"

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"River was a beautiful man inside and out and too beautiful for this world, it turned out. It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down," Perry adds.

Perry - who has been open about his battle with addiction in his new book and his recent interview with Diane Sawyer - starred alongside Phoenix back in 1988 in the Friends star's first movie, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. The two are said to have become good friends while working together.

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Sadly, in 1993, Phoenix passed away from an overdose at the age of 23.

Heath Ledger, well known for his bigger-than-life characters in movies like The Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain, died of an accidental overdose of medications in 2008.

And Perry does not stop here when discussing the tragic death of SNL legend Chris Farley and again mentions Reeves here.

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After recalling how he "punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall" after learning that Farley had died aged 33, Perry then writes: Keanu Reeves walks among us."

Quite understanding, these comments from Perry do not go down well with Reeves fans and they are questioning the point of these mentions in the new memoir book.

One Twitter user responded by writing: "Matthew Perry dumping on Keanu Reeves is a joke. Keanu has had his series of personal tragedies (death of [fiancée], unborn child, sister dying of cancer, etc.) yet he rises above it to be a kind and generous human being. And then there’s Matthew Perry who’s a self-indulgent tool".

A second added: "Matthew Perry is getting dragged for basically asking why Keanu Reeves is still alive when other actors have died far too young. He must not have realized how well loved Keanu is. That man has experienced so much loss in his life. He's also one of the kindest and humble people."

Now, speaking to Deadline, Perry has issued an apology for the comments and tried to clarify his point too. 

In a statement to the outlet, Perry said: "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."

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is due to be released on November 1.