US media reported on Saturday that actor Matthew Perry, who played the character Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom “Friends”, was found dead in his home at the age of 54.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor was found dead in his bathtub at his Los Angeles home.
The first responders were unable to revive him.
No signs were found to suggest foul play, according to anonymous sources cited by the same newspaper and TMZ, which first reported the death.
His publicists and other representatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Asked by the Associated Press to confirm police response to Perry’s home address, LAPD officer Drake Madison told the AP that officers went there “to investigate the death of a man in his 50s.”
Matthew Perry is best known for his humorous role as Chandler Bing on the extremely popular NBC series Friends, which aired for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004.
The actor had struggled with his addiction to painkillers and alcohol for years and had been to rehabilitation clinics several times.
During a recent television appearance, Perry surprised audiences by admitting he suffered from severe anxiety “every night” while filming Friends.
In a memoir published last year, he confessed to undergoing 65 drug treatments and spending more than $9 million.
“I should be dead”
According to TMZ, no drugs were found at the actor’s crime scene on Saturday.
In addition to “Friends,” Perry also appeared in films such as “Fools Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.”
He had undergone several surgeries related to his drug addiction issues, including a seven-hour colon surgery in 2018, to the point where he said one day, “I should be dead.”
Alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry ensured the success of this television series beloved by American youth and beyond.
In the end, the six heroes received around a million dollars per episode.
According to Variety, they even negotiated a fee of $2.5 million each to film a reunion show in 2021.
During this episode, Matthew Perry raised his fans’ fears by visibly stammering his words.
Matthew Perry, born in Massachusetts to Canadian and American parents, grew up in Canada before moving to Los Angeles.
The series “Friends” was a huge hit with audiences and left its mark on a generation of viewers.
Releasing on Netflix allowed the series to attract new audiences, confirming the enduring popularity of the sitcom, a genre that many said was in decline.