Tom Selleck's friendship with Matthew Perry's father broke the ice for the legend during his time on Friends

Tom Selleck has had a long and storied career that's included many a memorable role. He currently stars as Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods but fans of Friends also know him as Dr. Richard Burke. The ophthalmologist, who was first introduced in season 2, had a romantic relationship with Monica despite also having a close friendship with her parents.

In a recent interview with USA Today, ahead of Blue Blood's season 14 premiere, Selleck shared about his time on the set, particularly with Matthew Perry. It was actually the actor's friendship with John Bennett Perry that helped to smooth the way for Selleck as he and the cast got to know each other.

"Everybody couldn't have been nicer to me. But every day I'd see Matthew, and I'd ask him, 'How's your father?' And he'd always smile and we'd catch up. I got to know his father when I was a young struggling actor. Almost any commercial or pilot I went out on, there was John. We became real good friends."

The connection highlights the six degrees of separation we all experience one way or another in life that can lead to nice moments and fond memories.

In the interview Selleck also spoke to the chemistry between the Friends cast. Having starred in nine episodes from 1996-2000, he did witness the friendship between the actors noting "There are no bad stories. No star stuff. Nothing like that there...I think it's because all these actors had failures on other shows. And now they're in this hit. They all realized how lucky they were."

He also praised Perry in particular as "the most talented of a very talented group of people." Selleck had struggled with the late actor's sarcastic delivery when he was called upon to mimic it. He called it Perry's signature, and it's something he asked him for help with repeatedly in order to land the bit right.

In the wake of Matthew Perry's death on Oct. 28, 2023, stars and those who knew and loved him have continued to share their stories about the way he touched their lives. His welcoming spirit is a part of the legacy he will always be remembered for.