Matthew Langford Perry was found dead on October 28, 2023, in a hot tub at his L.A home. He was 54 years old. The prime cause of his death is still unknown.
Perry was most known for playing the character ‘Chandler Bing’ on the NBC television sitcom ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’. The release of his Amazon and New York Times bestseller memoir ‘Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing’, brought a lot of light to Perry’s battle with drug addiction as he opened up about the past. Along with ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’, Perry was also known for his roles in ‘The West Wing’, ‘The Odd Couple’, ‘Second Couple’, and more.
“It almost doesn’t feel real that he’s gone. I guess I’m still in denial and will be everytime I watch ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S,” junior Lana Pantano said.
Now everytime viewers want to watch the sitcom, at the beginning of every episode it’ll mention, ‘In The Memory of Matthew Perry. 1969-2023’.
Perry, who had five award nominations for playing ‘Chandler Bing’ in ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’, brought the comedy, charm, and charisma to the show. Bing was known for his sense of sarcasm and his reputation to ‘make jokes when [he’s] uncomfortable’, as his famous dialogue goes.
Chandler Bing’s character in ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ was an escape from the reality and seriousness of the utterly complicated and drama-filled lives of 6 friends in New York City. His famous habit of emphasizing ‘be’ and immediately witty responses would never fail to make the audience break into laughter.
“Chandler was mostly the reason I would watch ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’, if I’m being completely honest […] there is something about the way [Matthew Perry] acts that you can never get bored of,” Pantano said.
“I just think [Matthew Perry] had the natural energy that matched Chandler, because some of the things that Chandler did I feel like Matthew Perry would do in real life as well,” junior Hayden Kissell said.
In Perry’s memoir, he wrote freely about his battles with drug addiction. As young as 14 years old, Perry’s struggle with substance abuse began. He aimed to not make victims feel alone with addiction and to not be afraid to ask for help. Moreover, he expressed his loneliness. Even as an actor with thousands of his fans, Perry highlighted how easy it is to feel alone all the time.
One of his notable quotes is, “When I die, I don’t want ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
A public charity, advised by the National Philanthropic Trust, called the Matthew Perry Foundation has been made to honor Perry’s Legacy.
Perry’s funeral was held on November 3, 2023 where the cast of ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ — Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — released a joint statement saying,
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able,” the statement said. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
“I believe he was in his mid 50s when he died […] that is so tragic and sad. ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ itself isn’t that old of a show, and the characters are also in their late 20s and early 30s. So seeing him pass away is very strange,” Kissell said.
