Mathew Perry, the actor best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the popular 90s sitcom Friends, has died at the age of 54. The five-time Emmy nominee was reportedly found dead in a hot tub at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles just after 4 p.m on Saturday.
TMZ reports that first responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest, and that there were no signs of foul play and no drugs found at the scene.
His Death was confirmed by the official Friends account on Instagram. “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.”
Warner Bros. Television Group, which produced “Friends,” said in a statement that they were also devastated by Perry’s death and hailed him for his talents.
“Matthew was an incredibly gifted 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 so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans,” the statement said.
No official cause of death has been announced, but the Los Angeles police are conducting a death investigation.
Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts and raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Perry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and began his Hollywood acting career with TV guest spots, with notable roles on Boys Will Be Boys, Growing Pains, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
His breakthrough came at the age of 24 when he was cast as the sarcastic Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends in 1994 alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. The role earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2002. He also received four other Emmy nominations for his work on Friends and The West Wing.
In addition to “Friends,” Perry appeared in TV shows such as “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Go On,” “The Odd Couple,” and was the co-creator and star of the sitcom “Mr. Sunshine.” He also starred in several hit films, including “Fools Rush In” (1997), “The Whole Nine Yards” (2000), and “17 Again” (2009).
Perry, who had no wife or children had a long history of opioid abuse, which began after a jet ski accident in 1997. He opened up about his struggles with addiction in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, published in 2022.
In the memoir, Perry revealed that his colon burst in 2018 due to an overuse of drugs. He spent two weeks in a coma and five months in the hospital. He also had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.
“The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live,” Perry told PEOPLE in promotion of the book. “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
Perry claimed to have spent close to $9 million getting sober over the years. He had been drug and alcohol-free since May 2021.
“I’m a pretty healthy guy right now,” he stated in an interview with People in November of last year.
“What I’m most surprised with is my resilience. The way that I can bounce back from all of this torture and awfulness,” he added.
Earlier this week, Perry shared his final Instagram post, a photo of himself in a jacuzzi. “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” he wrote in the caption.
Perry is survived by his father, John Bennett Perry, and his mother, Suzanne Morrison.
Condolences to his family.
