Matthew Perryhas died. He was 54.
The actor, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing onFriends,was found dead at a Los Angeles-area home on Saturday.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, first responders arrived at the residence at 4:07 p.m. Saturday.
The L.A. County Medical Examiner’s office lists the case as open, with the cause of death deferred pending additional investigation.
TMZreported that sources said first responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest, and that no illicit drugs were found at the scene. In addition, the outlet obtained 911 dispatch audio in which “drowning” is referenced.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at Perry’s address regarding the death of a male in his 50s, but would not confirm the deceased’s identity.
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Matthew Perry.Getty Images
Getty Images
Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on Aug. 19, 1969, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school with Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau.
His mother, Suzanne Morrison, was a journalist and press secretary to Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau, Justin’s father.
Perry’s stepfather isDateline‘sKeith Morrison. His father,John Bennett Perry, was an actor and model — the younger Perry even guest-starred in an episode of his dad’s cop show240-Robertin 1979.
From left: Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.
Perry played sarcastic commitment-phobe Chandler Bing for 10 seasons, landing an Emmy nomination in 2002.Friendswas the hottest show of the 90s, with Perry and costarsJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmerultimately earning a whopping $1 million each per episode.
“I was 24 when I got on the show,” Perry said in the 2004 bookFriends … ‘Til the End. “I’ll be 34 when it’s over, and those are really important years in somebody’s life. So to do it all in public … was difficult. At first you have the wave of ‘I’m famous, and this is exactly what I’ve wanted my whole life.’ But then you go through the whole recluse stage where you think, ‘I wish everybody would stopstaringat me.’ And then you eventually, hopefully, get through all that. You find things in your life that are grounding, like your family and good friends.”
Despite his success, Perry struggled with addiction behind the scenes, seeking treatment 15 times over the years. He told Britain’s BBC Radio 2 in 2016 that hedidn’t remember filmingseasons 3 through 6 ofFriends.
In a 2013 PEOPLE cover story, the actoradmitted to abusing alcohol and Vicodin, which a doctor had prescribed him after a 1997 Jet Ski accident.
“I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he said. “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”
Then, “something clicked,” and he founded Perry House, a men’s sober living facility, in his old Malibu beach home.
“The interesting reason that I can be so helpful to people now is that I screwed up so often,” he said. “It’s nice for people to see that somebody who once struggled in their life is not struggling any more.”
Friends Cast.Reisig & Taylor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Ahead of the release of his memoirFriends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thinglast,the actor told PEOPLE that he credited hisFriendscastmates withrallying around himamid his addiction, he explained, “They were understanding, and they were patient.”
“It’s like penguins. In nature, when one is sick or very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up and walk around until that penguin can walk on its own. And that’s kind of what the cast did for me,” he added.
The friendships he made with the cast have proven to be lifelong, which was evident when they came together for the2021 HBO Max reunion show. He said, “It’s a group that really is close and tight-knit and loves each other.”
WhenFriendsended in 2004, Perry struggled to find another small-screen hit: his next starring vehicle,Aaron Sorkin’sStudio 60 on the Sunset Stripaired on NBC for just 22 episodes from 2006-07.
He co-createdMr. Sunshinein 2011, but ABC canceled the comedy after nine episodes. His NBC comedyGo Onran for one season in 2013. Next, he starred alongside Thomas Lennon on CBS’sThe Odd Couplereboot for three seasons from 2015-17.
Perry also performed in the playThe End of Longingin London beginning in 2016 in addition to film credits includingFools Rush In,The Whole Nine Yards,Serving Saraand17 Again.
In his memoir, the actor discussed his health struggles, including a frightening experience in whichhe was hospitalized for five monthsafter his colon ruptured as a result of using OxyContin.
“The doctors told my family that I had a two-percent chance to live. That’s the time I really came close to my life ending,” Perry told PEOPLE about the terrifying experience.
After the event, Perry revealed that he went into a coma for two weeks, and when he awoke, he had a colostomy bag that he had to use for about a year. The experience led Perry to one of his greatest resolutions — to stop taking prescription opioids.
“My therapist said, ‘The next time you think about taking OxyContin, just think about having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life,’ " he said. “And a little window opened, and I crawled through it, and I no longer want OxyContin.”
When it comes to gratitude, Perry said he learned that “everything starts with sobriety. Because if you don’t have sobriety, you’re going to lose everything that you put in front of it, so my sobriety is right up there.”
source: people.com
