Friends star Matthew Perry has died aged 54 after drowning in his jacuzzi at home, according to reports. Law enforcement sources said that the actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles following an emergency call for a cardiac arrest around 4 p.m. on Saturday. He was found in a jacuzzi at the location.
They also said that although no drugs were found at the scene, there was also no evidence suggesting foul play. Perry gained recognition in his role as 'Chandler Bing' on the popular 90s sitcom "Friends," which enjoyed a successful 10-season run. Throughout his career, he has been candid about his prolonged struggle to conquer addiction to both drugs and alcohol.
Sudden and Tragic
Emergency services were called to his home at approximately 4 pm, where he was found unresponsive, the Los Angeles Times reported. Also, The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement: "We responded to the 1800 block of Blue Sail Rd for a death investigation on a male at 4:10 p.m. this afternoon. He was in his 50s."
A source told the LA Times that there were no indications of foul play, and mentioned that detectives specializing in robbery and homicide cases are looking into his death.
In his most recent Instagram post shared earlier this week, the star posted images of himself in his pool, captioning it with: "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."
Perry shared the story of his enduring struggle with addiction in a memoir titled "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," which was published last year.
Throughout his battle, he attended rehab 15 times and underwent 14 surgeries in an attempt to alleviate the damage caused to his stomach lining as a result of alcohol and opioid use.
The actor disclosed that in 2018, he came close to death due to a gastrointestinal perforation. This led to a two-week coma and a five-month hospital stay, during which he relied on a colostomy bag for nine months.
"The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live," Perry stated during a promotional interview for his book last year. "I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that."
Last year, Perry revealed that he had invested nearly $9 million in his journey to getting sober over the years — and eventually succeeded. The actor proudly announced his sobriety, stating that he had been free from drugs and alcohol since May 2021.
A longtime friend of Perry's - who was in recovery with him - told DailyMail.com: 'Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news.
"It's no secret that he struggled with drugs and alcohol for years but the last time I spoke to him, which was within the last few weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.
"He was upbeat and sounded sober and positive.
"He'd been to rehab 17 times and nearly died from opioid abuse but he was someone who was sincere about taking his life, and his sobriety, one day at a time.
"It's such tragic news. Everyone is praying he didn't relapse. Matt was a genuinely lovely guy. He was always the first to welcome newcomers to the group and would always volunteer to help and be of service.
"We are all struggling to come to terms with this terrible news."
His Illustrious Career
Perry gained widespread fame for his portrayal of the beloved character Chandler on the iconic sitcom "Friends," which aired from 1994 to 2004. He was cast on the show when he was 24 years old, around the period when his struggles with alcohol addiction began to emerge.
Around three years after joining the show, in 1997, Perry was prescribed opioids following a jet-ski accident. Unfortunately, this led to a rapid dependency on the prescribed medication.
Perry's addiction worsened to the point where he was consuming as many as 55 Vicodin pills daily, causing his weight to drop significantly to just 145 pounds.
Throughout the peak of his time on "Friends," Perry frequently sought treatment. He underwent multiple cycles of rehabilitation during the decade in which he was actively filming the sitcom.
"There were years that I was sober during that time," Perry told People last year. "Season 9 was the year that I was sober the whole way through,"
Despite intermittent periods of sobriety, Perry's ability to maintain a drug-free life was short-lived. The consequences of his addiction took a significant toll on his health, leading to long-lasting damage.
In more recent times, Perry publicly stated that he had ultimately conquered his addiction and was in good health.
"I'm a pretty healthy guy right now," he stated in an interview with People in November of last year.
"What I'm most surprised with is my resilience. The way that I can bounce back from all of this torture and awfulness," he added.
Perry was born in Massachusetts but spent a significant part of his early years in Canada.
His mother, Canadian journalist Suzanne Langford, and his father, American actor John Bennett Perry, parted ways before his first birthday. Perry's mother later married "Dateline" journalist Keith Morrison in 1981.
Growing up in a well-off environment in Ottawa, Perry attended high school with Justin Trudeau, who serves as Canada's current Prime Minister.
With aspirations of becoming an actor, Perry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and began auditioning for roles in television sitcoms and dramas. He made brief appearances in shows like "Growing Pains" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" before landing his significant breakthrough with the role of Chandler on "Friends" in 1994.
Besides his iconic role on "Friends," Perry expanded his acting career by appearing in other well-regarded shows such as Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
He also featured in successful films such as "Fools Rush In" (1997), "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), and "17 Again" (2009).
While Perry didn't marry and didn't have children, his romantic relationships often attracted significant media attention. He dated Julia Roberts from 1995 to 1996, and Roberts even made a guest appearance on the second season of "Friends."
He was also involved with actress Lizzy Caplan, known for her role in "Mean Girls." Additionally, Perry was engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz before their separation in June 2021.
