The actor Matthew Perry, the iconic Chandler Bing from the legendary American series Friendsdied on Saturday at the age of 54 at his home in Los Angeles.
Perry was found dead in his hot tub minutes after 4:00 pm, and it appears that the cause of death was accidental drowning, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Police sources told Los Angeles Times that no drugs were found at the scene and that no crime is suspected.
The account of Friends On Instagram he shared a heartfelt tribute to the actor.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Matthew Perry. It was a true gift to all of us. Our hearts go out to his family, loved ones and all his fans,” the message reads.
In November 2022, the actor published his memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing”, in which he recounted his struggle against drug addiction that affected him for years.
Perry was born in Massachusetts. After their divorce, his mother took him to live in Canada. As a teenager he moved to Los Angeles with his father and began acting.
He worked in several series during the 80s and early 90s. But it was his role as Chandler Bing in Friends the one that launched him to world fame.
Produced by Warner Bros. Television, the comedy consolidated the careers of its six protagonists: Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Perry himself, who earned an Emmy nomination in 2002.
“Matthew was an incredibly talented actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world and his legacy will live on in the hearts of many people. This is a heartbreaking day. ..”, Warner said in a statement.
With 10 seasons and 236 episodes, the series about a group of friends living in New York was a phenomenon throughout the world and still Today it continues to be broadcast and has millions of followers.
The chemistry that the actors achieved was noticeable on the screen and together they negotiated their fees, which is why they became among the highest paid actors in a television series, earning more than a million dollars per episode.
In 2021, the six reunited in a special program. It was his own Perry who gave the scoop by posting an image on his Instagramwhere he was seen in a makeup chair, preparing for his return to the stage with his colleagues.
“Seconds before eating a makeup brush, not to mention meeting my friends again,” he said then.
IMPACT OF DRUGS ON YOUR LIFE
In his book, Perry revealed that when he was 49 years old his colon ruptured due to his addiction to opioids and he fell into a coma for two weeks. He was hospitalized for several months, during which he was operated on 14 times to repair all the abdominal damage.
Writing his story helped him recover from that pain. “Although it’s a little scary to tell all your secrets in a book, I didn’t leave anything out. It’s all there,” he revealed to the magazine. People last year.
His addiction coincided with some of the recording periods of Friendshence the weight differences that the actor showed in the series.
“I was on 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 120 pounds, I was on Friends being watched by 30 million people, and that’s why I can’t watch the show, because I was brutally thin. I didn’t watch the show, and I haven’t. seen, because I could say: ‘Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine’. I could identify each season by my appearance. That’s why I don’t want to watch it, because that’s what I see,” he lamented in an interview with CBC.
In addition to Friends, the late actor worked on other television series. He also ventured into film, where he shared a set with stars such as Salma Hayek, Bruce Willis and Zac Efron.
Hours after learning of his death, a curiosity spread to the networks. His last Instagram post of him is a photo in which he is seen, at night, enjoying his jacuzzi.
“Oh so warm water spinning makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” she wrote in the caption.
Perry never married or had children, although he had several stable and long-lasting relationships, among them with actress Lauren Graham, star of the remembered series Gilmore Girlsexhibited in Cuba.
He is survived by his parents.
