Sean Penn wasn't "terribly surprised" by Matthew Perry's death.
The Oscar winner, 63, gave a candid and emotional interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Wednesday night where he spoke of the Friends star's "tragic" passing in October aged 54.
"What a talented guy. I can't claim to have known him well, but I liked him very much,' the Mystic River actor shared.
"I saw him somewhat recently, and we were both catching a flight out of Los Angeles airport, and I complimented him on what I knew of his book," Penn continued. "I hadn't read the book, I had seen several of his interviews, and he seemed to be talking about it (his drug addiction), had confronted it, and was very intelligent and bold about it and generously offering his experience to people to be helpful."
Along with battling his own addiction to alcohol and painkillers, Perry had dedicated much of his life to helping other addicts in their recovery. In recent years, Perry had to undergo several surgeries due to the damage to his body as a result of his addiction.
Penn went on to tell Morgan he wasn't "terribly surprised" by the actor's unfortunate death.
"I don't know what the whole coroner's report things and everything, but I know he had done a lot of damage to his organs over the years," Penn stated. "You know, tough situation, and he got to do that, he got to leave that tale behind and he got to give a lot of joy to a lot of people with his talent. So, I wish his family well."
Penn's words echo what Perry wrote in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
"I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody," he told People while promoting its release. He was sober at the time.
