It’s The One With All The Heartbreak.
Matthew Perry has sadly passed away. He was 54.
Hollywood is in mourning after news broke of the actor’s passing. He died on Saturday, October 28. According to outlets, the Friends star was found dead in his hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that an autopsy was conducted and foul play is not suspected at this time. The cause of death has been deferred pending toxicology results.
He is survived by his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, and his father, John Bennett Perry.
His family said in a statement:
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.
You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
Since the heartbreaking news broke, there has been an outpouring of tributes to the beloved actor by celebrities, fans, and his peers in the industry.
Matthew starred as Chandler Bing for all 10 seasons of the beloved NBC sitcom Friends. On Sunday (October 29), the show’s co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright shared a statement:
“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives,” read the statement. “He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.
We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Our Broken.”
In November 2022 during an interview on the Q with Tom Power podcast, Matthew said he would like to be known not just – or even firstly – for his work on Friends, but for who he was as a person:
“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker.
The best thing about me, bar none, is it somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking. Can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it.
And I’ve said this for a long time: When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want that to be the first thing that’s mentions. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.
And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want.”
Thank you for the joy you brought into the world, Matthew. Rest in peace.
