This one hurts. Matthew Perry, best known is the sarcastic and witting Chandler on 'Friends', has died. He was only 54 years old.
TMZ broke the story yesterday evening.
'Friends' Star Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/OARIVTMOQ2
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 29, 2023
Initial reports suggest Perry may have drown. TMZ writes:
Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first-responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.
They also updated the story with additional details later in the evening:
More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death ... as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.
We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive ... and called 911.
The outpouring of shock and sadness on Twitter/X was prolific and immediate:
Matthew Perry death: ‘devastated’ stars remember Friends actor after apparent drowning https://t.co/wYamw6e5s5
— The Guardian (@guardian) October 29, 2023
Those friends include actress Morgan Fairchild, who played Chandler's mother on 'Friends':
I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest. #RIPMatthew pic.twitter.com/QWMsBVJEAr
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) October 29, 2023
Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler's sometimes girlfriend Janice, remembered Perry as well:
“Matthew was an incredibly generous actor. There was no single time I stepped onto a stage with him that I did not feel lifted by his brilliance," Maggie Wheeler, who played Perry's on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice on 'Friends,' remembers the actor https://t.co/5wYkUzCFcZ
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) October 29, 2023
Wendell Pierce:
Damn. For 2 years Matthew Perry was my boss, my colleague, and a giving, kind, funny man. I pray and hope he is at peace. pic.twitter.com/lX2cav5NLs
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) October 29, 2023
Pierce played Perry's boss on 'The Odd Couple' reboot in 2015.
Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!! 💔 💔 💔
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) October 29, 2023
Mira co-starred with Perry in 'Parallel Lives.'
Selma Blair called Perry her 'oldest boyfriend':
"My oldest boy friend. All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day," wrote Selma Blair on Instagram. "I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams." https://t.co/t0WshwJxvR pic.twitter.com/mWDcIK1WoV
— Variety (@Variety) October 29, 2023
Fellow Canadian Tom Green also paid tribute:
Shocked and saddened to just hear about the passing of Matthew Perry in a tragic drowning. He is one of the many talented and incredible success stories from my hometown of Ottawa Canada. Rest in peace Matthew.
— Tom Green (@tomgreenlive) October 29, 2023
The official 'Friends' Twitter/X account:
We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans. pic.twitter.com/Xv6HkpSEBl
— FRIENDS (@FriendsTV) October 29, 2023
NBC Entertainment:
We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry. He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations. pic.twitter.com/VcAlZ26Nso
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) October 29, 2023
Saturday Night Live also paid tribute to Perry on last night's episode. Perry hosted the show once in 1997:
'SNL' paid tribute to Matthew Perry, hours after the actor's tragic death. https://t.co/1keYXyzLYA
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) October 29, 2023
This is the sketch:
Matthew Perry in the SNL sketch Sarcasm 101 with Ana Gasteyer, Norm Macdonald, Cheri Oteri, Will Farrell and Tim Meadows. #RIPMatthewPerry #MatthewPerry pic.twitter.com/0Pm8i49Zj3
— Melissa Jean (@MelissaJeanSays) October 29, 2023
Perry, a huge hockey fan, was remembered by the Ottawa Senators:
Saddened to learn about the passing of Matthew Perry, one of Ottawa’s proudest sons and 𝑡ℎ𝑒 biggest hockey fan ♥️ 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/DLmGNx3xdZ
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 29, 2023
And the Nashville Predators:
The Nashville Predators Organist played the Friends Theme song in honor of Matthew Perry pic.twitter.com/grdARfqUc3
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 29, 2023
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted:
Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 29, 2023
But there's more to that story. Perry and Trudeau went to school together and, well, watch:
Matthew Perry went to school with Justin Trudeau and beat him up. RIP. pic.twitter.com/6cQWt9oTTS
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 29, 2023
Hoo boy. What a great story.
Perry's mom was Pierre Trudeau's press secretary.
Matthew Perry is my hero. https://t.co/xcFVNaNIRa
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) October 29, 2023
Fans also remembered Perry. Including this story he shared on the Graham Norton Show:
Breaking: FRIENDS star Matthew Perry dead at 54
— Dom (@Underrated_Dom) October 29, 2023
Here is a funny moment where he’s talking about his drunken night out with M. Night Shyamalan. pic.twitter.com/Avfw8k0sLR
Wonder where that guy is now.
Was driving in car when this news hit and kid audibly gasped then told me what happened. Sad, shocking, too soon. https://t.co/F6eENnV4KH
— Andrew Donaldson (@four4thefire) October 29, 2023
Far too soon.
God Speed Matthew. I met Matthew a few months after Friends premiered just as it was gaining its legendary popularity. He was doing a charity hockey game for the @penguins; we talked for over an hour, he was sweet, shy & ridiculously naturally funny. And a classic gentleman. 💔😢 https://t.co/h8pIuUbNaj
— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) October 29, 2023
What a great story.
This is, obviously, so very sad. He was an exceptional talent and part of a cultural moment in time. His legacy extends beyond his role on Friends, as he helped so many with his vulnerability in sharing his recovery from addiction. Rest easy, Matthew. https://t.co/RwTudtelOs
— Ally Garber (@AllyGarbs) October 29, 2023
Yes he did. We'll talk more about that in a moment.
I feel like a piece of my childhood is gone. Thursdays were the best day of the week because of him and the entire cast of Friends. Rest in eternal sarcasm Chanandler Bong. https://t.co/gSqFep4vpC
— Kendra Jacobs (@KendraJJacobs) October 29, 2023
Chanandler Bong. We giggled a little.
Some laughed at me when I said Matthew Perry was every bit as good a dramatic actor as a comedic one. Incredible talent, massively challenged by his demons. Gone way, way too soon. RIP https://t.co/Gi2PDj6snJ
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) October 29, 2023
He had a turn as Joe Quincy on 'The West Wing', proving he could do drama.
RIP to Matthew Perry aka Joe Quincy, one of the most unexpected but delightful guest stars on the West Wing pic.twitter.com/Wlaf1rx0Jr
— Alex (@awong_SF) October 29, 2023
Despite never working with Perry, fellow 'West Wing' star Marlee Matlin remembered him:
I’m sad to say that I never had a chance to work with Matthew Perry but I admired his incredible talent. And my family loved him in Friends and was hit particularly hard by his untimely passing. RIP dear Matthew. pic.twitter.com/Z7wxmgyXe7
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) October 29, 2023
The thing Perry wanted to be remembered for, more than his role as Chandler, was the work he did for people struggling with addiction, something Perry struggled with for years:
Matthew Perry Dead: Read the Friends Star's 2022 PEOPLE Cover Interview About His Addiction and Memoir https://t.co/2tKoqXPgv0
— People (@people) October 29, 2023
Matthew Perry can’t get over the view. Standing on the patio of a house in the Hollywood Hills, the actor, 53, gazes at the skyline-to-ocean vista. His eyes are bright, his voice strong. Beloved for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, Perry famously made $1 million per episode at the height of the show’s popularity. He also plunged into a three-decade battle with alcohol and drug addiction.
In 2018 he was hospitalized for what was publicly described as a gastrointestinal perforation. In fact, his colon had burst from opioid overuse, leaving him fighting for his life. Only a very few in his inner circle knew just how harrowing his addiction had become. “It was a secret,” he says. “I was hiding it from everybody.”
He’s ready now to tell his story, and he’s written a heartbreakingly beautiful memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, detailing his journey — one filled with incredible highs and shattering lows.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side again,” he says. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober—and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction—to write it all down. I was pretty certain that it would help people if I did.”
Shuttled as a child between his divorced parents in L.A. and Montreal, Perry grew up with dreams of becoming a pro tennis player before trying his hand at acting. At 24, he nabbed the role of Chandler on a pilot then titled Friends Like Us. His alcohol addiction was just surfacing.
“I could handle it, kind of,” he says. “But by the time I was 34, I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble.”
At one terrifying point, he was taking 55 Vicodin a day and weighed 128 lbs. “I didn’t know how to stop,” he said. “The disease and the addiction is progressive, so it gets worse and worse as you grow older.”
He credits his Friends castmates for rallying around him. “They were understanding, and they were patient,” he says. “It could be said that [doing the show] saved me.”
Perry called his time on 'Friends' the happiest of his life:
In 2015 Matthew Perry shared why 'Friends' was the happiest time of his life. Matthew tragically passed away on Saturday. He was 54. pic.twitter.com/BxfwFnIwnZ
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) October 29, 2023
And he used his addiction and struggles to create Perry House, a sober living facility for men:
Matthew Perry. 💔
— Michael Schwartz | Stream Snatched On Hulu (@BoatAshore) October 29, 2023
Thank you for helping others. pic.twitter.com/VoJVhsf4tr
The post reads:
These are sentiments he echoed in a recent interview:
“I would like to be remember as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people”
— DJ Skillz (@RnBMaster) October 29, 2023
- Matthew Perry 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/ljizWUX9Wd
In addition to 'Friends', Perry also starred in 'The Odd Couple', 'The Good Fight', 'The West Wing', and 'Ally McBeal' as well as movies 'The Whole Nine Yards', 'Fools Rush In', and 'Almost Heroes.'
For those of us who grew up watching 'Friends' and his career, this death hits closer to home than most celebrity deaths do. Perry was funny and (this writer would argue) the best part of 'Friends', and from all accounts a decent man who did his best despite some very deep, troubling demons. He will be missed by family, friends, and fans alike.
Perry is survived by his parents, John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Marie Langford, as well as stepfather Keith Morrison of NBC's 'Dateline.'
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