Matthew Perry, the actor best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends, died due to an apparent drowning on Saturday (October 28th). He was 54 years old.
Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. His official cause of death is not yet known, but no foul play is suspected. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” his family said in a statement to People. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.”
The Fools Rush In actor struggled with addiction for decades, which he wrote about in his 2022 memoir titled Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In addition to alcohol, Perry became addicted to painkillers following a 1997 jet-ski accident. He wrote in his memoir that he had been sober since 2001, excluding “60 or 70 relapses.”
Friends ran for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004. Maggie Wheeler, the actress who played his girlfriend Janice on the show, wrote on Instagram, “What a loss.The world will miss you Mathew Perry . The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
His other Friends costars have yet to comment on his untimely passing, but the show’s official Instagram account honored him with a post on Sunday (October 29th). “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 caption read.
Other celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, and Selma Blair took to social media to remember the Whole Nine Yards actor as well.
