Matthew Perry is walking back a comment he makes about Keanu Reeves in his upcoming memoir.
In his book, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry reflects on the death of River Phoenix, whom he starred with early in his career in the 1988 movie “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.”
“Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?” he writes in the book, an excerpt of which was provided to NBC News. “River was a better actor than me; I was funnier.”
Phoenix died in 1993 of a drug overdose. Perry, 53, has since taken back what he wrote.
“I’m actually a big fan of Keanu,” he said in a statement to People. “I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead.”
TODAY has reached out to Reeves for comment, but has not gotten a response.
“Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” is available to purchase on Nov. 1. In the book, Perry opens up about his addiction struggles during his run on “Friends.”
“If you gauge my weight from season to season — when I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I am skinny, it’s pills. When I have a goatee, it’s lots of pills,” he writes.
He’s also said his castmates on the hit NBC comedy rallied to his side while he dealt with addiction.
“They were understanding, and they were patient. It could be said that (doing the show) saved me,” he told People.
He has also revealed how co-star Jennifer Aniston confronted him about his drinking.
“She was the one that reached out the most,” he tells Diane Sawyer in a preview clip, obtained by E! News, of an interview that will air Oct. 28.
“I’m really grateful to her for that,” he added.