In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death, Chinese fans mourn an old friend

By FU TING
Associated Press

Long before “Friends” made its official debut in China, the show was a word-of-mouth phenomenon in the country. In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death at 54, fans in China are mourning the loss of the star who felt less like a distant celebrity and more like an old friend. While “Friends” didn’t debut in China until 2012, the show had become popular more than a decade earlier thanks to bootleg DVD and hard drive copies. Many Chinese fans learned English through the show and got a peek into American life. The uncensored underground version also opened a window into topics that weren’t broached on Chinese television