As Chandler Bing, he made millions of viewers of the cult series “Friends” laugh. Now fans and colleagues are crying for actor Matthew Perry. As “TMZ” and other US media reported, he was found dead in his hot tub on Saturday (October 28). His sudden death at the age of just 54 caused great sympathy.
According to initial reports, the “Friends” actor drowned. He is said to have played pickleball for several hours in the morning. He then sent his assistant to run a few errands. When he returned to the house in the Los Angeles area, he is said to have discovered the actor lifeless in the hot tub and called 911.
“TMZ” was the first to report the tragic news and claims to have learned from officials that no drugs were found at the crime scene and there were no signs of crime. Nevertheless, a murder squad was called in to investigate the exact circumstances. Los Angeles police later confirmed to Page Six that the emergency call came in around 4 p.m. local time.
Many of Perry’s colleagues have already reacted with great concern. Warner Bros., which produced “Friends,” wrote in a statement: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Matthew Perry. He was a true gift to all of us. Our condolences go out to his family, loved ones and all his fans.”
The show “Saturday Night Live” also paid tribute to the star in the evening. He had hosted the popular show on October 4, 1997. Now his name was shown next to a black and white portrait of him.
Presenter Piers Morgan, 58, was one of the first celebrities to respond on Twitter: “The Friends star was a great actor but, by his own admission, a very tortured guy. His recent autobiography about his addiction-ravaged life was one of the most powerful, “The most honest and insightful thing I’ve ever read. What sad news.”
Actress Selma Blair (51) expressed her dismay on Instagram and called the deceased her “oldest friend”. “We all loved Matthew Perry, and me especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Heartbroken. Sweet dreams, Matty. Sweet dreams.”
Colleague Olivia Munn, 43, shared some of her favorite clips from the show and wrote: “Oh no. He struggled so much with addiction and was brave enough to be open and honest about it. I’m so sorry for his family and friends who Received the news today. Nothing short of heartbreaking. Rest in love, Matthew Perry.”
Matthew Perry became world famous for his role as Chandler Bing in the series “Friends”. He appeared in all ten seasons of the most successful series of the 1990s. He was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and grew up in Ottawa, Canada. He attended elementary school there with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (51). His father John Bennett Perry (82) was an actor and model. As a teenager, Perry moved to Los Angeles and landed his first guest appearances on television. His big breakthrough came in 1994 with the NBC sitcom “Friends.”
Despite his success, Perry struggled with alcohol addiction behind the scenes. He was also often drunk on set. He told Britain’s BBC Radio 2 in 2016 that he couldn’t remember much of the “Friends” filming. In 2013 he said: “I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and couldn’t stop. At some point it got so bad that I couldn’t hide it anymore, and then everyone knew.” In his biography “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” which was published in November 2022, he also reported in detail about his years of addiction.
