Friends comic and recovery advocate
DIED
“WHEN I DIE, I DON’T WANT Friendsto be the first thing that’s mentioned,” Matthew Perry said. The actor may have been best known for playing the goofy and lovable Chandler Bing in the juggernaut series, but his life was as defined by his struggles as it was by his iconic role. “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it,” he said in 2022. “I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”
Perry, 54, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28. He starred in Friends for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004, as the comedic core of the beloved television cast. Perry’s masterly ability to switch between biting sarcasm and genuine emotion turned Chandler into the show’s relatable anchor. In a joint statement, Perry’s five main castmates—Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer—called his passing an “unfathomable loss.”
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” they said. “We were more than just cast-mates. We are a family.”
Perry also starred in films such as 2000’s The Whole Nine Yardsand 2009’s 17 Again.He battled addiction throughout, and in 2022 he released his much anticipated memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big
