{"id":3366,"date":"2023-10-29T14:18:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T14:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/29\/matthew-perry-beloved-friends-actor-passes-away-at-the-age-of-54\/"},"modified":"2023-10-29T14:18:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T14:18:36","slug":"matthew-perry-beloved-friends-actor-passes-away-at-the-age-of-54","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/29\/matthew-perry-beloved-friends-actor-passes-away-at-the-age-of-54\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Perry, beloved ‘Friends’ actor, passes away at the age of 54"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Matthew Perry <\/span> | Screenshot: YouTube\/ABC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Matthew Perry, the prominent actor famously known for his role as Chandler Bing in the hit NBC sitcom \u201cFriends,\u201d died in his Los Angeles-area home at the age of 54. Conflicting reports initially suggested drowning as a cause, while the circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation.<\/p>\n

Authorities discovered Perry unresponsive after reports of a cardiac arrest, TMZ reported<\/a>, saying the death was due to an \u201capparent drowning.\u201d Later, the media outlet said he actually died at his own house after some physical activity Saturday morning.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Times reported<\/a> that Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub, although no foul play is suspected, adding that no drugs were found at the scene.<\/p>\n

According to media reports, Perry returned home in the early morning after a two-hour pickleball session. Shortly after arriving, he sent his assistant out for an errand. When the assistant came back about two hours later, he found the actor unresponsive and immediately called 911.<\/p>\n

The actor was most recognized for his role as Chandler in \u201cFriends,\u201d which aired from 1994 to 2004. Perry\u2019s first TV role was in a 1979 episode of \u201c240-Robert,\u201d an ABC drama, and his last was portraying Ted Kennedy in the 2017 Reelz miniseries \u201cThe Kennedys: After Camelot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perry\u2019s film career included roles in comedy films like \u201cFools Rush In\u201d and \u201cThe Whole Nine Yards.\u201d His film debut was in the 1988 teen drama \u201cA Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon,\u201d alongside the late River Phoenix. Perry\u2019s final film appearance was in the 2009 Disney movie \u201c17 Again.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cast members of NBC’s comedy series “Friends.” Pictured (L to R): David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Cook, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay. Episode: “The One Where They All Turn Thirthy.” <\/span> | Warner Bros. Television<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Massachusetts-born actor was also part of the 2021 HBO Max special \u201cFriends: The Reunion,\u201d which marked the original cast\u2019s reunion since the series finale.<\/p>\n

Perry had received several TV accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination in 2007 and four Primetime Emmy nominations, along with one win and six nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.<\/p>\n

The actor battled addiction issues, which he revealed in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir<\/em>. During a 2022 interview<\/a> with ABC News\u2019 Diane Sawyer, Perry mentioned he had \u201csafety nets\u201d to manage his addiction. In the memoir, Perry said, \u201cFor a start, I\u2019ve surrendered, but to the winning side, not the losing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hospitalized for a burst colon due to opioid abuse, Perry revealed on HBO\u2019s \u201cReal Time\u201d last November that he was given a 2% survival chance. Perry stated he never intended to die but acknowledged his resilience in his sobriety journey.<\/p>\n

On the show, the outspoken atheist Bill Maher<\/a> joked that God \u201cmust be a fan\u201d of Perry\u2019s, to which the actor replied that he knows Maher\u2019s belief about the Creator, but he does, in fact, believe in a \u201chigher power.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe there is a higher power,\u201d Perry testified. \u201cI have a very close relationship with Him that\u2019s helped me a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

In interviews, Perry openly discussed pivotal moments, including the first time he prayed for fame and the euphoria he felt after his first bottle of wine at age 14. Perry believed fame would cure his addiction but later realized it worsened it.<\/p>\n

During his first prayer to God, Perry said anything could be done to him so long as he became famous.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the first time I ever prayed. And I look back at it as a dumb prayer, like a prayer of a really young person,\u201d he told Sawyer.<\/p>\n

His second to last social media message, posted to X<\/a>, read, \u201cLet\u2019s make stigmas a stigma. #mentalhealth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor moved from Ottawa, Canada, to Los Angeles to live with his father at a young age, where his struggles with addiction began. By age 18, he was drinking daily. Despite these struggles, Perry believed his book and openness would help others battling addiction.<\/p>\n

He told Sawyer, \u201cPeople who don\u2019t believe in that, I\u2019d like to tell them to go stop a wave or go make a plant. It\u2019s not fun to talk about this stuff. I don\u2019t like talking about it, but I know it\u2019s going to help people to talk about it. I know the book is going to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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