In a heartbreaking turn of events, Matthew Perry, the cherished actor renowned for his role in Friends, passed away on Saturday at 54 following a tragic incident.
TMZ broke the news, revealing Perry’s unfortunate demise attributed to an apparent drowning. Responding to a cardiac arrest call at his Los Angeles residence, authorities discovered Perry unresponsive in a jacuzzi, as reported by law enforcement officials.
Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed responding to a call about the death of a man in his 50s at Perry’s residence but refused to divulge his name, emphasizing that no narcotics were found at the scene and ruling out foul play.
Matthew Perry, who shared the sitcom stage with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer on Friends for a decade, left an indelible mark as Chandler Bing. Beyond this iconic role, Perry graced numerous other television shows throughout his career, including Boys Will Be Boys, Growing Pains, Silver Spoons, Charles in Charge, Sydney, Beverly Hills, 90210, Home Free, Ally McBeal, The West Wing, Scrubs, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On, The Odd Couple, and more. His cinematic credits were equally noteworthy, featuring films like Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, Three to Tango, The Kid, 17 Again, Getting In, and others.
Despite a successful career, Perry battled with addictions to drugs and alcohol, candidly chronicling his struggles in the 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The memoir delves into the health challenges stemming from years of substance abuse, including an exploded colon, a brief stint on life support, two weeks in a coma, nine months with a colostomy bag, over a dozen stomach surgeries, and the sobering realization that, by age 49, more than half of his life had been spent in treatment centers or sober living facilities.
Matthew Perry, never having married, leaves behind a legacy cherished by millions of Friends worldwide. His untimely departure is a profound loss for those who admired not just his on-screen talent but also his resilience in the face of personal struggles.