Friends actor Matthew Perry has died aged 54
Topics: Friends, Film and TV
Alex Maxam
Featured Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown / Stringer/Bravo / Contributor/Getty Images
Topics: Friends, Film and TV
Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54, according to a report from TMZ.
The actor, best known for his starring role in sitcom Friends, was reportedly found dead by police in a hot tub at a home in Los Angeles. Police sources have stated there's no sign of foul play.
No cause of death has been officially stated yet, as investigations remain underway.
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Perry achieved global fame with his role of Chandler Bing in Friends, endearing himself to millions with sarcastic jokes and witty quips. He became a huge part of pop culture from the 1990s onwards, with the sitcom's enduring popularity showing no sign of stopping three decades on from when it originally aired.
He'd been very open about his lifelong struggle with addiction to alcohol and opioids, most prominently in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, which released last year.
The difficulties he faced led to multiple stints in rehab and serious health issues. While promoting his book, he did a series of interviews where he bravely opened up about his struggles, becoming emotional at times as he went into candid detail.
Despite being best known for Friends, he started his career as a child actor, appearing in Beverly Hills 90210 and starring alongside River Phoenix in the 1988 movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.
He also had roles in TV shows such as The West Wing, Scrubs, Ally McBeal, Boys Will Be Boys, Growing Pains and more.
Perry also made a mark by starring in numerous comedy films, including Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards and 17 Again.
He stopped working as much in recent years however, with his last acting role being a TV mini-series in 2017.
The actor got back together with his Friends co-stars David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow to film a reunion show in 2021, where they all reflected on their time on the show.
Perry had shocked them by admitting how much pressure he felt being funny on the sitcom. He said: "At least to me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh."
He continued: "It's not healthy for sure but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn't laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out."
Taking his former colleagues by surprise, Lisa Kudrow responded to the actor: "You didn't tell us that.
"I don't remember you ever saying that."
Perry replied: "Oh yeah, I felt like that every single night."