Beloved actor Matthew Perry passed away Saturday, Oct. 28 at the age of 54. Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home, but a cause of death has not yet been released.
Perry is most well-known for his starring role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” a sitcom about six young adults in Manhattan trying to navigate life. The sitcom was incredibly successful, running for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 and launching each of the six starring actors into the spotlight. Chandler was known as a sarcastic, funny and loving friend, and the role earned Perry an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002.
Since Perry’s shocking death, fans have poured their love for the actor and grief over his death into physical memorials and other tributes. On the corner of Bedford and Grove Streets in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, fans have left flowers and notes in tribute to Perry. 90 Bedford Street, the apartment building on this corner, was featured as an exterior shot on “Friends” where the six friends hung out most often in the show. There has also been an outpouring of tributes to Perry and support online for family and friends of Perry, especially for the other five starring cast members of “Friends,” who were all close to Perry. His “Friends” co-stars released a joint statement on their devastation. Many other celebrities have commented on Perry’s death, including “Friends” guest stars and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in school with Perry.
Outside of “Friends,” Perry had many other roles in movies and television shows. He starred in a revival of “The Odd Couple” from 2015 to 2017, and co-created, wrote and produced the ABC sitcom “Mr. Sunshine.” Perry’s memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” was published in 2022, and quickly became a bestseller.
Perry’s philanthropic contributions were mainly aimed at helping those dealing with alcohol and drug addictions. Perry turned his former Malibu mansion into a rehab facility, known as Perry House, for men’s sober living. He also lobbied Congress for greater funding of drug courts. Perry himself dealt with severe alcohol and drug addictions, which caused him to be hospitalized for treatment several times. Perry even said that he could not remember three years of “Friends” because of his substance abuse, and that he had spent millions of dollars on treatment. Perry has also touched on his anxiety surrounding his fame on the show, even after it had been established as one of the most well-known sitcoms of all time; on 2021’s “Friends: The Reunion,” Perry said, “I felt like I was gonna die if they didn’t laugh…I felt like that every single night.”
Much of the remembrance of Perry has been about how his character provided an escape. Chandler’s quick wit and easy humor was central to the popularity of “Friends,” but viewers also found Chandler’s character relatable. Chandler was often depicted as insecure and, as he puts it in one episode, “hopeless and awkward and desperate for love.” Viewers have and continue to appreciate the realness of Chandler: he deals with trauma from his parents’ divorce, hates his job and doesn’t find much success romantically for half of the show. Even while dealing with personal struggles, Chandler was always the jokester and incredibly loyal to his friends. Chandler’s constant humor was a source of comfort for many fans of the show, and fans also connected with the situations Chandler found himself in.
While Perry could certainly thank “Friends” for his success and stardom, he had previously said how he wanted to be remembered for more than just Chandler’s quips on the show. His work to help those struggling with drugs and alcohol is what he most wanted to be remembered for. On an episode of the “Q with Tom Power” podcast in 2022, Perry said, “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned…I want [helping people] to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.” While Perry’s work as an actor is admirable and he should be appreciated for his contributions to television and film, he should receive the same level of recognition and respect for his efforts to help others. Even when he was dealing with his own struggles, Perry prioritized the lives and experiences of others, which is something that we can all admire and hope to emulate.
