'Friends' star Matthew Perry found dead at his Los Angeles home: Reports
Oct 29, 2023
Matthew Perry, renowned for his role in the TV series 'Friends,' was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence Saturday, reported LA Times quoting law enforcement officials familiar with the incident. He was 54.
Los Angeles Police Department's robbery-homicide detectives are investigating the death, according to the report.
Perry had returned to his LA home after a two-hour round of pickleball game and sent his assistant on an errand. The assistant came back after around two hours and found Perry unresponsive in the Jacuzzi, reported TMZ. He dialled 911 for emergency assistance.
Reports indicate that no drugs were discovered at the scene, and there is no indication of foul play.
LAPD Officer Drake Madison told Associated Press that officers had gone to that block "for a death investigation of a male in his 50s."
The circumstances surrounding his death have left fans in shock.
Matthew Perry rose to fame for his iconic role as Chandler Bing on the television series "Friends." The show, which aired from 1994 to 2004, became a cultural phenomenon, and Perry's portrayal of the sarcastic and endearing Chandler made him a household name. He earned critical acclaim for his performance and several award nominations during the show's run.
He also received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Ron Clark in "The Ron Clark Story," which helped establish him as a versatile actor in both television and film. He also had a successful career in theatre, including appearances in plays like "The End of Longing." Beyond acting, he worked as a writer and producer on various projects.
Born to John Bennett Perry, an actor, and Suzanne Morrison, a Canadian journalist, Mattew was raised by his mother in Ottawa after his parents divorced before he was a year old. He attended Ashbury College and later studied at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.
Matthew Perry had been open about his struggles with addiction, particularly during his time on "Friends." He later sought treatment for his substance abuse issues and was an advocate for addiction recovery and mental health awareness.
"'Friends' was huge. I couldn't jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame," he wrote in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing." "I had a secret and no one could know."
"I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn't laugh, and that's not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions," Perry wrote. "If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick."
He described going through detox 65 times, spending some $9 million in attempts to get sober.
Perry dedicated the book to "all of the sufferers out there," and wrote in the prologue: "I should be dead."
