Fans of popular Friends star Matthew Perry believed he was sending out his own “bat signal” in the days before his death – after the actor hosted a series of Batman posts online.
Perry, 54, admitted that he saw himself as Batman – a young, damaged character who used the loss of his parents to become a vigilante who fights crime and has a strong sense of justice to help other people .
He called the superhero a “rich loner,” a description he identified with after starting watching Christopher Nolan’s films in the mid-2000s.
Despite the mental health struggles Batman endured, the comic book character turned his pain into a superpower to help others – something Perry often said he tried to do when speaking publicly about his battle with addiction.
In the days before his death, Perry made seven posts with references to Batman – including a video that showed large flat screens displaying the character’s logo and a bat signal silhouette at the bottom of his swimming pool.
He also captioned the posts with “I’m Mattman” – his Batman-inspired nickname.
Matthew Perry died on Saturday at the age of 54 (he is pictured earlier this week when he was last seen in public). Perry admitted that he saw himself as Batman – a young, damaged character who channeled the tragic loss of his parents into being a vigilante who fights crime and has a strong sense of justice to help other people
In the days before his death, Perry posted illusions about Batman seven times. Many fans at the time thought it was a cry for help
Days ago: On October 18, Matthew shared another nighttime photo taken outside while the Batman emblem glowed in red lights on his pool
The Batman logo at the bottom of his pool is seen here in a daylight aerial shot
Perry wrote the caption: “No need to worry everyone,” Perry wrote, “I gotta hit the streets tonight.”
In another post, he showed the red-lit bat signal with the message: “Sleep tight everyone.” I’ve got the city tonight – Mattman.” This was followed by an image of a sign that read “BATMAN PLAYS PICKLEBALL.”
Pickleball was the sport Perry was believed to have been playing just hours before his death.
He also posted a video featuring three red berries and wrote, “I had to eat this today.” “I’m Mattman,” as well as a carved pumpkin with a Batman logo hole.
His penultimate post showed the crescent moon in the sky, with the caption: “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? – I’m Mattman.”
And in his last public post, he called himself Mattman again as he posed in a pool at night with the crescent moon behind his back, with the caption: “Oh so warm water swirling around makes you feel good?” I’m Mattman. ‘
When he posted his extraordinary thing on Instagram last week, many fans realized that it might mean something was wrong.
Perry shows off his Batman attire – including baseball caps and sweatpants with the infamous logos. The actor also owned a Batman watch that he bought while vacationing in Hong Kong
The actor’s backyard with the Batman logo illuminated in the pool on Saturday evening after he was found dead
Fixation: One of the star’s recent posts revealed that the Batman movie was being shown on multiple screens
Eerie: His last social media picture, shared five days before his death, showed him in an outdoor hot tub. Perry reportedly died after drowning in a hot tub at home
The last chapter – and last line – of Matthew Perry’s memoir was about Batman
The frequent references to the Batman logo led many to believe that it was actually Perry’s own Bat Signal, the distress signal used in the fictional Gotham City to summon Batman to help.
Now many fans suspected that Perry’s posts could have been his own cry for help.
Six days ago, one person wrote under a video he posted from the moon: “Are you okay, should we send for help?”
And another from almost a week ago said: “Are you trying to give us a hint or something?”
While a third fan agreed five days ago: “He’s trying to tell us something.”
And under another post from Perry this week in which he carved the Batman symbol into a pumpkin, a commenter said: “So Matt, you know there are a few of us who are a little worried about right now make you?”
“I hope you’re just having some fun or hinting at a new project.” Your fans love you and want you to be happy and healthy – please take care of yourself? Thanks.’
Another person wrote six days ago: “Has anyone else read the book and seen the risky connection?” referring to his obsession with Batman.
Perry’s love of Batman was well-documented – and even in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he often wrote that he was, in fact, Batman.
And its final chapter was named after the superhero of the same name.
The final lines of Perry’s memoir are: “One day you too may be asked to do something important, so be prepared.”
“And if whatever happens, just think: What would Batman do? and do that.’
In his book, he recalled imagining himself as Batman and his father as Superman.
He also joked about calling an assistant as “Alfred” and the person who addressed him as “Mr. Wayne”.
In an interview with GQ last year, Perry mentioned several times that he was Batman – saying, “I’m Batman.” Well, he’s a rich loner.
Matthew Perry’s love for Batman was on display in his home, and several pieces of memorabilia are on display here
Perry’s LA penthouse, which was covered in Batman-themed items
“We both drive black, cool cars.” “I don’t solve crimes, but I’ve saved people’s lives.”
He said, “I have a big relationship with Batman,” and told the outlet that his love for the character began after watching the Christopher Nolan films as an adult in 2005.
Perry also showed off his Batman attire – including baseball caps and sweatpants with the infamous logos. The actor also owned a Batman watch that he bought while vacationing in Hong Kong.
And Perry also revealed that the main reason he bought one of his LA apartments was because it resembled Christian Bale’s apartment in The Dark Knight.
It was a $35 million, 9,300-square-foot condo on the 40th floor of The Century, an ultra-upscale luxury high-rise apartment building next to posh Beverly Hills.
And the penthouse listing photos actually show Perry’s own stylistic Batman touches throughout the home, including statues and office chairs.
He also had a bat cave – similar to a man cave, but just for his memorabilia – in his house.
Perry reportedly played a two-hour game of pickleball on Saturday before sending his assistant on an errand. When the person returned, Perry was reportedly found lifeless in his hot tub.
Sources told that Matthew Perry was lonely and longing for a wife and family when he died after a series of failed relationships left him “sad and depressed.”
The 54-year-old “Friends” star was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday – and close sources say Perry even longed for stepchildren thanks to his great relationship with his own stepfather Keith Morrison.
Perry as Chandler in a famous episode where he married Monica with Rachel and Phoebe as bridesmaids
The actor, who rose to fame as the sarcastic Chandler Bing in the groundbreaking ’90s sitcom, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday after emergency responders were called around 4 p.m. local time.
Perry never married and ended his engagement to Molly Hurwitz, a talent manager, in 2021. He also dated several well-known actresses throughout his life, including Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan.
“Matthew has always dreamed of having the perfect family,” a source close to the star told . “He wanted a wife and at least a few children.” And he said he wouldn’t even mind marrying a woman who already had children.’
No one meant more to Perry in this world than his stepfather, Dateline host Keith Morrison, who married his mother in 1981, the source said.
Perry gained a global fan base for his role as Chandler on Friends, which earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002 – but behind the glitz and glamour, he secretly battled substance abuse for decades.
Perry was born on August 19, 1969 in Massachusetts, raised in Ottawa and raised by his mother Suzanne Morrison, a Canadian writer and former press secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Morrison and Perry’s father were married from 1968 to 1970 and she married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison, who had been with Dateline for decades, in 1981.
In Canada, Perry was a top tennis player but moved to Los Angeles at 15 to be closer to his father, John Bennett Perry, an actor known for several shows including Falcon Crest and later Old Spice commercials.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Perry landed appearances on the most popular TV shows of the decades such as Charles in Charge, Who’s The Boss?, Growing Pains and Beverly Hills, 90210.
He also had a role in “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon,” a 1988 film starring River Phoenix.
Aerial photos show Perry’s pool and hot tub where he was found dead Saturday
The film was “one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, because I was 16 years old and all alone in Chicago with no parents around,” Perry told BuzzFeed. “I knew I wanted to act.”
In his memoir, Perry spoke briefly about how he would like to be remembered after his death.
“When I die, I know people will be talking about friends, friends, friends,” he wrote.
“And I’m happy about that, glad that I did a solid job as an actor and gave people the opportunity to make fun of my problems on the World Wide Web several times.”
“But when I die, as far as my so-called achievements go, it would be nice if friends were listed far behind the things I’ve done to help other people.”
“I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
On Sunday, Perry fans left bouquets of flowers outside the iconic Friends apartment in New York City – while well-wishers left their greetings next to his home in LA.
Tearful mourners left colorful bouquets of flowers on the wet sidewalk in front of the facade of the Friends apartment in Manhattan’s West Village.
Although never filmed on location, the Bedford Street building was used as an exterior location in the TV show Friends and soon became an iconic tourist hotspot.
Many people stood in the pouring rain to lay flowers and leave notes at the makeshift memorial for the popular actor. A fan carrying a Friends tote bag began crying at the dark tribute.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, fans left bouquets of sunflowers and other gifts at the gates of Perry’s home, where he was found dead over the weekend.
Items included a miniature Batman doll and handwritten cards from fans.