Matthew Perry called ‘beautiful’ Lauren Graham ‘one of his favorite’ people before death

Matthew Perry and Lauren Graham had a special bond through the years, but the pair never dated — at least they never admitted that publicly.

Perry, who died at age 54 on Saturday of an apparent drowning, shared a sweet photo of the “Gilmore Girls” alum in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”

“Me and the beautiful Lauren Graham,” he captioned the photo of Graham resting her head on his shoulder.

The “Parenthood” alum was one of a select few faces that Perry decided to incorporate into his book. Other photos included his beloved “Friends” cast, his family and other famous pals such as Bradley Whitford Salma Hayek and Bruce Willis.

“Happy, happy pub day, @MatthewPerry!” Graham tweeted in Nov. 2022, adding green heart emojis while promoting the actor’s book.

Graham has yet to speak out about Perry’s tragic passing, but she did gush over him in her own 2016 memoir, “Talking As Fast As I Can.”

“The only bright spot, dude-wise, was at an event where I met Matthew Perry,” she wrote, while referencing a period in her life when she was single. “He became my longtime Friend Who I Almost But Never Exactly Dated, or FWIABNED.”

The two would go on to co-star in 2008’s “Birds of America” and reunite on-camera in one episode of Perry’s “The Odd Couple,” which ran from 2015 to 2017.

In a Q&A session about the series, Perry explained that he and Graham “have great chemistry when working together, and it’s fun to work with a close friend.”

Graham also was teased at one point about a possible romance during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

“You always make fun of me for not going out with him, and I keep telling you he’s just my friend,” Graham told the host in 2008.

Perry’s death is still under investigation as the coroner has ordered more tests, including toxicology. His “Friends” co-stars broke their silence on his death in a joint statement on Monday, and Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer have all stepped out separately since the news.

“We are all so utterly devastated,” Cox, LeBlanc, Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow said in their statement, obtained by People. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

“In time we will say more, as and when we are able,” the statement continued. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

Jim Burrows, who directed some episodes of “Friends,” recently told Today that he immediately texted the women when he heard that Perry died. He said the cast is “destroyed” by the loss.