The late Matthew Perry didn’t want to be remembered primarily for his role on Friends, but for how he supported others who also experienced substance abuse.
“The best thing about me – apart from that – is when someone comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ ‘I can say yes and go ahead and do it, that’s that Best,” Perry said in a resurfaced video on X.
“And I’ve been saying this for a long time: When I die, I don’t want friends to be the first thing mentioned.”
Perry added: “I want that to be the first thing mentioned and I will spend the rest of my life proving that.”
Following the actor’s untimely death on Saturday, footage of Perry talking about how he wanted to be remembered was shared on social media.
Sad news, I was aware of his trip.
Rest in peace, Matthew Perry, who made it his mission to use the battle he fought with his own demons to help others 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/8TIMPhP097
— Daniel O’Reilly (@dapperlaughs) October 29, 2023
In a video that resurfaced on social media, Matthew Perry revealed that he wanted to be remembered not only for his work on Friends, but also for the help he gave to others
Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends. He played a funny, sarcastic character who married Monica, played by Courtney Cox
An excerpt from his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Things” revealed that Perry also wrote a play inspired by his struggles with addiction and that he knew that “Friends” would be what people loved him most knew
In 2013, Perry even transformed his Malibu mansion into a low-key men’s living facility and named it “Perry’s House.”
In another post
“I also wrote my play The End of Longing, which is a personal message to the world, an exaggerated portrayal of me as a drunk,” Perry said.
“I had something important to say to people like me and people who love people like me.”
While he was happy to have had an influence on the hit ’90s sitcom, he made it clear that he wanted Friends to be low on his list of successes.
“I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice,” he said at the end of the shared excerpt.
Perry died Saturday afternoon at the age of 54 as a result of an accidental “drowning” in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home. Sources said police found prescription pills in the home, but no illegal drugs.
In his latest post on Instagram, which he shared earlier this week, the star shared pictures of himself in his pool
Last year he published his memoirs titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”
Just last week, Perry delighted his fans by sharing a social media post of him and his father, seen here
Earlier in the day, Perry had reportedly played a two-hour game of pickleball – a sport similar to tennis but played on a smaller court – before sending his assistant off on an errand. When they returned, Perry was reportedly found lifeless in his hot tub.
Hours after his death, Perry’s mother, father and stepfather arrived at his LA home in mourning.
Police cordoned off the crime scene and a white tent had been set up in his backyard next to the swimming pool and hot tub.
His body was removed from his home by the LA County Medical Examiner’s Office hours after his death.
Perry became famous for his role as “Chandler Bing” on the hit 90s sitcom “Friends,” which ran for ten seasons.
He recently posted a picture of himself and his father, John Bennett Perry, who accompanied him on a 1998 episode of Friends.
He was born in Massachusetts and raised in Canada by his mother, Suzanne Marie, after his parents divorced when he was one year old.
Perry was a natural fit for the role of Chandler, beloved for his sarcastic one-liners, and many of his mannerisms grew out of the actor’s own demeanor.
Employees from the Los Angeles coroner’s office complete their work at the home
The 82-year-old was later joined by Perry’s mother Suzanne (left) and stepfather Keith Morrison (right), who appeared sullen as they arrived at the house
Perry’s father, 82, was seen frantically arriving at his son’s LA home just hours after the Friends star died. Sources said he was found in the home’s hot tub, but no drugs were found at the scene – and there was no evidence of crime
In his memoirs, he said: “It was as if someone had followed me for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary but witty view of life.” One character in particular stood out to me: I didn’t think , that I could “play” Chandler. I ‘was’ Chandler.”
Perry later revealed that his alcohol addiction only really came to light when he first appeared on the sitcom at the age of 24.
Years later, he said he was “in big trouble” at the end of the hit show’s 10th season.
In a 2016 interview, he admitted that he didn’t remember three seasons of filming because he was “a little out of control at that point.”
At one point during his time on Friends, Perry said he was taking 55 Vicodin painkillers a day and was down to 100 pounds, but still “didn’t know how to stop.”
Following his sudden death, many took to social media and paid tribute to the late actor, particularly for his role as Chandler in Friends.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, went to school with Perry when he lived in the country and wrote a touching post about him.
Perry also appeared in several films, including “17 Again” with Zac Efron, “Fools Rush In” with Salma Hayek and “Getting In” with comedian Dave Chapelle
Law enforcement sources said the actor was found at a home in Los Angeles on Saturday. He was seen here early last week
“Matthew Perry’s death is shocking and sad.” I will never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world will never forget the joy he brought them.
“Thanks for all the laughter, Matthew.” “You were loved – and we will miss you,” Trudeau said.
Warner Bros, which produced “Friends,” said in a statement: “We are devastated to learn of the death of Matthew Perry. “He was a true gift to all of us. Our condolences go out to his family, his loved ones and all his fans.”
After moving to LA, Perry starred as Chazz Russell on Boys Will Be Boys and also had roles on shows like the sitcom Growing Pains before becoming a global superstar as Chandler.
“That was the only guy who played him,” Friends creator Marta Kauffman said in the 2021 reunion special.
In his memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, the star revealed the culmination of his horrific battle with drug and alcohol addiction that almost cost him his life.
Perry also revealed that his colon ruptured at age 49 as a result of his opioid addiction.
Doctors gave him only a two percent chance of survival and he was in a coma for two weeks, followed by months more in the hospital.
Perry required 14 surgeries to repair all abdominal damage, and he admitted to going to rehab 15 times over the years in hopes of kicking his drug addiction.
His Friends co-star Maggie Wheeler mourned the loss of her former on-screen boyfriend, whose character dated from the show’s second to third seasons.
Perry’s former co-star Maggie Wheeler (pictured) mourned his loss. Her character was known for being his on-screen boyfriend, and her nasal voice screamed her catchphrase: “Oh my God.”
“Friends” was a huge worldwide success as the series ran for ten seasons between 1994 and 2004
Chandler Bing’s “bromance” with his roommate Joey Tribbiani was hugely popular among fans
‘What a loss. “The world will miss you, Mathew Perry,” she captioned the image, which shows her gazing adoringly at him while portraying her character, Janice Litman-Goralnik.
Perry also appeared in several films, including “17 Again” with Zac Efron, “Fools Rush In” with Salma Hayek and “Getting In” with comedian Dave Chapelle.
He starred in “The Whole Nine Yards” and “The Kid” with Bruce Willis, who was a guest star in the sixth season of “Friends.”
Perry never married and ended his engagement to Molly Hurwitz, a talent manager, in 2021.
He dated several well-known actresses, including Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan.