Actor Matthew Perry attends the 2003 TV Land awards at the Palladium theatre in Hollywood on 2 March, 2003. Photo: CHRIS DELMAS / AFP
Friends actor Matthew Perry has died at age 54 in an apparent drowning, US media is reporting.
According to entertainment website TMZ.com, Perry was found dead on Saturday (local time) at his LA-area home.
TMZ said it was told by sources that he was found in a jacuzzi at home, with no drugs found at the scene, and no foul play reportedly involved.
TMZ reported that Perry had spent the morning playing the game "pickleball" and first responders rushed over on a call for a cardiac arrest.
The Los Angeles Times was also reporting Perry's death, attributed to law enforcement sources. It reported that authorities came to his home about 4pm local time and found him unresponsive.
Friends TV Series (1994-2004) starring Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courtney Cox. Photo: Archives du 7e Art/Warner Bros. Television via AFP
Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit 90s sitcom Friends, which screened for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 and co-starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow.
The show was one of the biggest hits of the 1990s, with the cast reportedly earning US$1 million per episode in its later years.
The cast of the television comedy "Friends" (From L-R:) Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and David Schwimmer pose with their award at the 26th People's Choice Awards in Pasadena on 9 January 2000. Photo: LUCY NICHOLSON / AFP
"We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry," NBC Entertainment said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. "He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations."
He also appeared in the TV series Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, Mr Sunshine and The Odd Couple, as well as the films Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards.
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. pic.twitter.com/Xv6HkpSEBl
— FRIENDS (@FriendsTV) October 29, 2023
In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Things, Perry discussed a lifelong struggle with addiction to alcohol and opioids.
"The only thing that made me keep a lid on my using and drinking was that I had the greatest job in the world. I can't blow this up. I can't lose this job," he told the Washington Post in an interview.
Actors and co-stars paid tribute to Perry on social media.
I’m so very sad to hear about @MatthewPerry. He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though.. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.
— paget brewster (@pagetpaget) October 29, 2023
The Massachusetts-born actor grew up in Ottawa after his mother, a Canadian journalist who once served as press secretary to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, divorced Perry's father and married a Canadian broadcast personality, Reuters reported.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a childhood friend of Perry's, also remembered his friend, calling his passing "shocking and saddening".
Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 29, 2023
- RNZ
