'Friends' co-stars pay tribute to Matthew Perry

The five co-stars of the hit 1990s television sitcom "Friends" have paid tribute to their cast-mate, Matthew Perry, in a joint message lamenting his death two days earlier as an "unfathomable loss".

In a brief statement published by People magazine on Monday, actors Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer spoke out publicly for the first time since news broke that Perry was found lifeless in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home on Saturday. He was 54.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," the statement said. "There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."

The five former co-stars promised they would have more to say in time, "when we are able," adding, "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world."

The cause and manner of Perry's death are to be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, following the completion of an autopsy with toxicology tests. Initial tests came back inconclusive.