Friends is one of the most famous television shows of all time. A very important part of what brought the show such fame is the excellent cast, which featured actors who would become some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Perry as well as three others. The witty, comedic acting and chemistry of the cast are responsible for the success of Friends, which has made over $1 billion dollars just from reruns after the series ended in 2004.
Matthew Perry, who played the sarcastic, quick-witted character of Chandler Bing on Friends, broke out as a result of the series. He first began acting at the age of 10 and continued to find numerous acting roles after the end of Friends. In 2006, he starred in The Ron Clark Story, a TV film produced by TNT. From 2008 to 2016, Perry appeared in over 15 films, television series, and stage productions. In 2021, Perry appeared in a special episode of Friends titled Friends: The Reunion which saw the main cast of the series reunite with each other and revisit the most iconic moments of the series. This special marked Perry’s final on-screen appearance before his death. In 2022, Perry published a memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles and was later pronounced dead. LAPD Captain Scot Williams was quoted as saying, “The cause of death may not be known for some time, but at this point, foul play is not suspected.” As of November 2, no determined cause of death has been confirmed.
In his personal life, Perry struggled with addiction to alcohol and drugs. He became addicted to the painkiller Vicodin after a jet-ski accident in 1997 and entered a rehab program shortly after. At age 30, Perry suffered from alcohol-induced pancreatitis. Perry stated in 2002 that he had made an effort to not drink on the set of Friends, but it is reported that he frequently showed up to the set of Friends either high or drunk during the later seasons of the series. Perry entered rehab once again in 2001 for his addictions to numerous painkillers, and he later revealed in 2016 that he didn’t remember a three-year period when he was acting on Friends. Perry estimated that he had spent over $9 million dollars in his life fighting his addiction, including 14 stomach surgeries and 15 trips to rehab. He became an advocate for rehabilitation and a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Perry’s death greatly impacted the world of television and acting. His Friends costars released a joint statement saying, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. 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. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.” Other notable figures who paid tribute to Matthew Perry include Selma Blair, Morgan Fairchild, Maggie Wheeler, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Along with Perry’s fellow actors, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended school with Perry, paid his respects.
