The 90s hit series “Friends” made him a star. Now the actor Matthew Perry has died – at just 54 years old. Colleagues, friends and fans react with dismay and sadness.
Matthew Perry became world famous as Chandler Bing in the cult series “Friends”. Now, according to US media reports, the American-Canadian actor has died at the age of 54. The surprising news of Perry’s death on Saturday evening (local time) caused consternation in Hollywood. Stars and companions such as Shannen Doherty and Selma Blair expressed their sadness.
There was no evidence of foul play in Perry’s death, the New York Times reported, referring to Captain Scot Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department. The cause of death will probably only be determined in some time. Perry was found dead in a whirlpool at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, the celebrity portal “TMZ” and the “Los Angeles Times” previously reported, citing unnamed sources from judicial circles.
In response to a dpa request, a spokesman for the police in Los Angeles only confirmed that there had been an operation on Saturday afternoon (local time) at an address in the Pacific Palisades district, where Perry lived. Spokesman Drake Madison told dpa that they were investigating the death of a man in his 50s, without giving a name. There was no immediate reaction from Perry’s spokesperson team. According to US media reports, Perry’s mother, biological father and stepfather arrived at the actor’s house on Saturday evening.
Reactions to Perry’s death
An Instagram message from “Friends” production company Warner Bros. Television said: “We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s death. He was a true gift to all of us.” “He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his perfect comedic timing and wry wit,” NBC Entertainment wrote on the platform X, formerly Twitter. NBC broadcast the sitcom “Friends” for years.
Actress Shannen Doherty (52) dedicated a post to Perry on Instagram. During their long friendship, they always supported each other and had a lot of fun. Now there is “shock and sadness,” wrote Doherty.
Actress Selma Blair (51) wrote on Instagram that her heart was broken. “We all loved Matthew Perry – and I especially.” Oscar winner Mira Sorvino (56) expressed her sadness on the X platform: May Perry find peace and happiness in heaven and make everyone laugh with his “unique joke”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended the same school with Perry, described his death as “shocking and sad.” He will never forget the schoolyard games together, Trudeau wrote on
British singer Adele remembered the deceased during a performance in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The 35-year-old said on stage that she would always remember Chandler Bing. The “Friends” character made her laugh and gave her so much joy.
The 90s hit “Friends” revolves around the lives of a group of young friends in New York. The series about the protagonists Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe was produced in the USA from 1994 to 2004 and became a television cult in countless countries. For the special program “Friends: The Reunion” in 2021, all six main actors – Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow – came together again.
Perry in autobiography: “Stood with one foot in the grave”
Last year, Perry released his autobiography, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.” In it he wrote openly about his decades-long battle against his addiction to alcohol, drugs and pills. The book says, among other things: “I’ve spent well over seven million dollars getting sober. I’ve been to 6,000 AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings. I’ve been to 15 rehabs and a mental institution. I’m Went to therapy twice a week for 30 years. I had one foot in the grave.”
Addiction dominated his life for decades. His problem was mainly cigarettes, alcohol and painkillers, sometimes dozens of pills a day; he was afraid of heroin, which may have saved his life, Perry wrote.
Perry saw the roots of the disease in his childhood. His mother – a model and journalist who later worked for then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau – and his father – an actor – were both very young when Perry was born and separated shortly afterwards. Perry grew up with his mother in Canada and rarely saw his father in Los Angeles. As a teenager, he then moved in with his father – which caused a big argument in the family, he wrote in the book.
In the 80s, Perry had his first television and film roles, including in the 1988 film drama “Jimmy Reardon” alongside River Phoenix. He made further film appearances in the comedy “Fools Rush In” (1997) with Salma Hayek, “A Date for Three” (1999) with Neve Campbell and “No Half Measures” (2000) with Bruce Willis and Rosanna Arquette .
But Perry’s biggest success was “Friends.” As Chandler Bing, he made millions of fans laugh every week while earning millions of dollars. In the series, Monica Geller, played by Courteney Cox, was his girlfriend.
The actor has never been married. In his autobiography he wrote that many of his private relationships had failed because of his addiction. In the book, he also revealed that he dated Julia Roberts for a while during Friends.
Los Angeles Times to Adele Shannen Doherty on Instagram TMZ.com to Parents NYT Los Angeles Times NBC Entertainment on X Warner Bros. TV on Instagram Justin Trudeau on X Selma Blair on Instagram Mira Sorvino on X Octavia Spencer on Instagram