Hank Azaria is remembering his old friend Matthew Perry -- reflecting on their long relationship ... and revealing how the late actor introduced him to sobriety.
The famed "Simpsons" voice actor -- who actually guest starred opposite MP on "Friends" for a handful of episodes -- posted a lengthy video over the weekend in which he spoke on Matt's sudden passing ... and noted how heartbreaking it was, seeing how close they'd been.
Hank says his history with Matt goes way back -- apparently, they acted in a pilot together for a series that never got picked up ... and they were good buds from day one in showbiz.
He also says Matthew was the one who first brought him to an AA meeting -- something he says he wishes Matt would've stuck with himself ... pointing out the guy suffered a lot with addiction over the years, something that became crystal clear to Hank in Perry's memoir.
HA has a lot of kind words here for Matt ... and it's touching to hear him reminisce. He says he felt he lost his pal to drugs and alcohol a long time ago -- but that doesn't make his death any more difficult than it has been. That feeling, undoubtedly, is shared by others.
TMZ broke the story ... Perry died at an L.A.-area home Saturday after an apparent drowning during the day. We're told he was found unresponsive in a hot tub on the property.
There are still a lot of details that remain to be seen surrounding the exact circumstances of this tragedy ... which is evident in the fact that L.A. County Coroner aren't ready to rule on an official cause of death just yet. There were no illicit drugs found at the house, though several prescriptions were located inside. The Coroner has performed toxicology tests, but results won't be in for at least 6 weeks.