Michael J. Fox on Saturday recalled some unsung generosity by the late “Friends” star Matthew Perry.
At a benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Fox remembered his hockey buddy and fellow Canadian as a giving dude who didn’t advertise it.
When the salaries of Perry and “Friends” castmates were bumped to formidable levels later in the series, Perry quietly donated a chunk to Fox’s foundation, the “Family Ties” star told Entertainment Tonight.
“I hope this isn’t indiscreet, but when they first made their big sale and were made millionaires for the rest of their lives, he wrote a big fat check to the foundation,” Fox said. “We were really early on and trying to find our feet, and it was such a vote of confidence.”
“And it wasn’t accompanied by any self-aggrandizing or anything,” Fox added. “He was just like, ‘Take it and do your best.’ I loved that.”
The “Back to the Future” actor’s foundation was founded in 2000, two years after Fox announced he had already been battling the disease for several years.
It has now raised more than $1 billion.
Another celebrity, John Stamos of “Full House” fame, recently recalled another sweet gesture by Perry, who died last month at age 54. When Stamos guest-starred on “Friends,” he said Perry exhorted the studio audience to cheer for Stamos after he got a tepid response on the set.