American actor and author Lauren Graham recalled the late star Matthew Perry and talked about her friendship with him, as reported by People. She hosted a Q&A during her 'Have I Told You This Already?' book tour. Speaking to an audience at the Lincoln Theatre during her stop in Washington, D.C., she reflected on her friendship with the late actor. "It's still really hard to believe," Graham said of Perry's death. The Friends actor died in his Los Angeles-area home on October 28, 2003, due to the acute effects of ketamine, according to an autopsy report. He was 54, according to People. Matthew Perry Passes Away: All You Need To Know About the FRIENDS Fame Actor.

"While he was not technically ever a boyfriend, he was almost in my life," Graham said, adding that Perry was also "a friend and a constant." "We would stretch for a year, then he would come back into my life, and he had just come back into my life last year," she explained before sharing what Perry bought her for her birthday that March. Graham stated that the actor had sent her "a pickleball set" on her special day. As the audience laughed, she smiled and shared her fond memories. "He's like really into tennis and pickleball, with a card that said, 'Be older,' " she said, calling his death "a terrible loss." Perry had once referred to Graham as "one of my favourite people" during a Q&A of his own for his show The Odd Couple. "We have great chemistry when working together and it's fun to work with a close friend," he said. The Evan Almighty actor spoke about Perry on CBS Mornings a month after his death, "No one made me laugh as hard. Just tears, streaming. There was just such joy in being around him and being his friend." Matthew Perry Dies at 54: Saturday Night Live Pays Tribute to FRIENDS' Star After His Sudden Death.

Lauren Graham Shares Touching Tribute to Matthew Perry,  Says  'Still  Hard to Believe'

"The solace I take from having seen him at the time I saw him was he was so thrilled with how his book was received-- and not just because it was a huge success, but because his life's work kind of became, 'How can I give back? How can I talk about the struggles I had and hopefully help someone else?'" she said. Graham added that Perry "was so pleased" that he had been contributing in that way, which made him "really happy," according to People.