Matthew Perry Backtracked After Slamming Keanu Reeves & Says He's 'Actually A Big Fan'

Matthew Perry has apologized after an excerpt from his new book revealed some startling comments about fellow Canadian Keanu Reeves.

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry reflected on the deaths of other actors over the years while taking aim at Reeves, Page Six reported.

"Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?" Perry wrote.

According to IMDb, Perry starred in the 1998 movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon with Phoenix, and the pair are said to have become "close pals" while filming.

The comment raised eyebrows, with tons of media outlets reporting on the strange sentiment.

Now, Perry says he misspoke.

"I’m actually a big fan of Keanu," the actor said in a statement, as reported by Deadline. "I just chose a random name, my mistake. I apologize. I should have used my own name instead."

Reeves was cited mulitple times in Perry's book, including in another instance when Perry writes about the death of comedian Chris Farley.

The Friends actor starred in the 1988 adventure comedy Almost Heroes alongside Farley, and wrote about his reaction to finding out the comedian had died of an overdose at 33.

"I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston's dressing room wall when I found out," Perry wrote. "Keanu Reeves walks among us."

Perry's book has been filled with new revelations about the actor's life, including why he broke up with Julia Roberts after they began seeing each other following her appearance on Friends.

After wooing Roberts and getting her to agree to appear in an episode, the pair began dating, but Perry said the relationship was "too much" for him.

"I had been constantly certain that she was going to break up with me," he explained. "Why would she not? I was not enough; I could never be enough; I was broken, bent, unlovable."

"Instead of facing the inevitable agony of losing her, I broke up with the beautiful and brilliant Julia Roberts," he said.

Perry's book also candidly details the actor's struggles with addiction, including some of the darker moments he faced while filming Friends.

His memoir comes out on November 1.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.