Matthew Perry arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros. "The Invention of Lying" on Sept. 21, 2009 in Los Angeles.
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Topline:
Matthew Perry — the actor known the world over for his portrayal of sarcastic commitment-phobe Chandler Bing in “Friends” — has died at age 54.
Perry's 'comeback': Perry's 2022 memoir, the best selling “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir,” felt like a comeback of sorts, a sign that Perry had battled the drugs and alcohol that nearly killed him, and won, and was perhaps ready to step back in front of the cameras. And his fans were waiting for it.
The backstory: Perry was beloved the world over: "Friends" was appointment television during its run from 1994 to 2004, but the show is arguably even bigger today, between reruns, social media, merchandising, and more, such as the Friends Experience currently at the Lakewood Mall. (HBO Max reportedly paid $425 million land the reruns of the series for five years.)
What's next: Expect the next few days, weeks and months to be filled with tributes and reflections on the life of an actor who died too soon, as well as an investigation into a cause of death.
Matthew Perry — known the world over for his portrayal of the sarcastic commitment-phobe Chandler Bing in “Friends” — has died at age 54.
Warner Bros. TV posted a confirmation of his death on its Facebook page: "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."
The shocking news has been met with a barrage of questions that are so far unanswered about the cause and circumstances of his death. And, of course, there are darker questions too: Perry had made no secret of his struggle with substance abuse. Those demons were front and center in his best selling 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”
Initial media reports cited unnamed sources saying that there was no sign of drugs at the home where Perry was found, and no sign of foul play.
Perry’s last post on Instagram showed him sitting in the rear corner of a jacuzzi — with a jaw-dropping view of LA’s city lights. It appears to be the same home that he purchased in Pacific Palisades, and was profiled in a 2020 article in Home Beautiful.
Perry's memoir, released last year, felt like a comeback of sorts — a sign that the actor might have won the battle against the drugs and alcohol that nearly killed him, and was perhaps ready to step back in front of the cameras.
The book also confirmed what many of us already knew, that Perry was Bing, and Bing was Perry.
“'I was Chandler,'” Perry wrote, explaining in an Los Angeles Times interview that both he and his most famous alter ego have used humor to compensate for their crippling fears, relationship anxieties and self-sabotaging behavior.
The actor had dozens upon dozens of film and television credits to his name, but Perry was most famous for his star-making role in “Friends,” the ultimate appointment television on NBC's Thursday night primetime schedule between 1994 to 2004.
In this handout photo provided by NBC, the cast of "Friends", actors Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox-Arquette, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston sat down with Jay Leno for a special "Tonight Show," on the set of Central Perk on May 6, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.
Social media feeds were overflowing with tributes and condolences on Saturday night.
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
Our #OddCouple family suffered a great loss today. The entire entertainment world has. I am too sad about the news to say more than this: @mattyperry4 was a sweetheart who deserved more peace in this life. 54 is too young to go. We love you, Matty! #RIPMatthewPerry 💔 pic.twitter.com/oUG7UQAHDz
Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada, and famously attended grade school with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He moved to Los Angeles as a teen, and struggled at first to break into the entertainment business.
And then, Perry landed the role of a lifetime, as the snarky, commitment phobe who had found his tribe in New York City. But mega fame eventually took its toll. His drug abuse was so bad that Perry would later say he couldn’t remember filming entire seasons of "Friends".
His willingness to share his fall from grace only made fans love him more. His memoir “somehow makes us understand the workings of his mind and how impossibly hard it is for an addict to overcome his addiction,” according to one Amazon review. “It’s a story of great pain and perseverance, of determination and love. Great book!”
Perry seemed to find a measure of joy in his ability to help others by sharing his story.
“The interesting reason that I can be so helpful to people now is that I screwed up so often,” he said in an interview with People magazine. “It’s nice for people to see that somebody who once struggled in their life is not struggling any more.”
