Perry and Arquette played a married couple in the 2000 comedy

Matthew Perry and Rosanna Arquette in ‘The Whole Nine Yards’. PHOTO: MOVIESTORE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Rosanna Arquette is remembering the fun she had with Matthew Perry, who died on Saturday at age 54.

Perry and Arquette co-starred in the 2000 comedy The Whole Nine Yards, playing Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky and Sophie Oseransky, a married couple living in Montreal whose new neighbor happens to be a contract killer from Chicago (Bruce Willis).

“He was kind, he was lovely, he was funny, he was sweet. He was a dream to work with. There was no bad vibe. It was just fun,” Arquette, 64, tells PEOPLE.

“He loved grape soda,” continues the Emmy-nominated actress. “He always had a can of grape soda and he loved his grape soda. It was very funny. Then, he gave me a can and it was delicious.”

Michael Clarke Duncan, Natasha Henstridge, Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet in ‘The Whole Nine Yards’.WARNER BROS/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION

When she finished filming her scenes for the movie, “I sent him a big case—a couple of big cases to last him,” she says.

 Hank Azaria Pays Tribute to ‘Funniest Man Ever’ Matthew Perry: ‘We Were Really More Like Brothers’

After that, “I didn’t really see him,” she says. “I ran into him a couple times at some events through the years and he was always kind and loving, but I didn’t see him. I didn’t hang with him.”

“I do have many, many wonderful sober friends that are really upset and loved him dearly and he was in a good place,” Arquette says of Perry, who was forthcoming about his struggles with addiction through the years in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

“He helped so many people,” continues Arquette. “People who were really struggling with addiction and it’s a really hard thing to kick. He helped so many people get sober.”

“He gave back, and that’s the legacy that we have to remember,” she says of Perry. “That’s the stuff to remember—that he got to a place where he understood and he wrote this beautiful book and he opened a sober living home to give back. What a beautiful thing to do with his money. I think it’s extraordinary.”

 Friends Fans from Around the World Mourn Matthew Perry in N.Y.C: ‘Losing a Dear Friend’ (Exclusive)

Arquette, whose brother, David Arquette, was married to Friends star Courteney Cox from 1999 to 2013, says the news of his death is “especially” devastating for the stars of the NBC sitcom. “It’s their brother,” she says.

Indeed, in a joint statement released exclusively to PEOPLE on Monday, Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer expressed their shock and sadness.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement read. “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.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.