‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry dies at 54
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 29, 2023
Friends star Matthew Perry died in his Pacific Palisades home Saturday afternoon, per law enforcement sources who spoke to ABC News. He was 54.
According to the LAPD, a call was received at 4:07 p.m. PT for a male in his 50’s who was unresponsive. The LAFD says after arriving on scene no ambulance transfer was required for a call to that street.
Los Angeles police said they are conducting a death investigation. There were no signs of foul play on scene, according to law enforcement sources. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.
The actor was known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit ensemble sitcom Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004.
Perry also starred in the TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and was the co-creator and star of the sitcom Mr. Sunshine. His film career included the movies Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes and 17 Again.
He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best actor in a miniseries or motion picture made for television for his portrayal of the titular educator in the 2006 TV film The Ron Clark Story.
Perry — the son of actor, singer, and model John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Langford, a press secretary for former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau — moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles as a teenager.
After graduating high school, he began booking roles on TV shows such as Growing Pains and 90210 before being cast at the age of 24 on Friends as the sarcastic, neurotic Chandler — skyrocketing to stardom.
In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, a memoir published last year, Perry opened up about battling and overcoming years of drug and alcohol abuse behind the scenes.
In a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer last year, Perry estimated that he went through detox 65 times and went to rehab 15 times and recounted nearly dying after he was hospitalized for a perforated bowel in 2018.
He said he made it his goal to help others who are struggling.
“Obviously, because I was on Friends, more people will listen to me. So I’ve got to take advantage of that, and I’ve got to help as many people as I can,” Perry said.
The Friends official Instagram account posted a tribute to Perry Saturday night, writing, “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.”
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