Renowned actor Matthew Perry, famous for his iconic portrayal of Chandler Bing on the enduring sitcom “Friends,” has passed away at the age of 54.
The news of Perry’s passing emerged after a 911 call for a water rescue brought the police to a residence in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on a Saturday afternoon, as confirmed by an LAPD watch commander to KCAL News, a CBS Los Angeles station. TMZ was the first to report Perry’s demise.
On Sunday, law enforcement reported that the actor was discovered unresponsive in his jacuzzi, with no apparent signs of physical injury. The exact cause of death remains undisclosed. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office noted on Sunday that an autopsy has been conducted, and the results of toxicology tests are pending.
Matthew Perry achieved widespread recognition and adoration for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on “Friends,” a character celebrated for his distinctive quirks and endearing personality throughout the show’s impressive 10-season run.
“It’s great, it’s a wonderful time in my life,” he told CBS News of his time on “Friends” in a 2015 interview. “People come up to me that I know were not born when we shot the show, for sure. And they’re just surprised at how elderly I look.”
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry,” Warner Bros. Television Group, which produced “Friends,” told CBS News in a statement. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
“I think that people don’t understand that it’s a disease,” he told CBS News in 2015 about the misconceptions surrounding addiction. “It was declared a disease in 1955 by the American Medical Association. And even people who are in trouble with this thing don’t kind of realize that they are suffering from a disease. So they sort of blame themselves. So it’s important to get it out there, and not be a secret, so you can get the help that you need.”
Perry was born in Massachusetts in 1969, and raised in both the U.S. and Canada. His father was actor John Bennett Perry and his mother was journalist Suzanne Marie Langford, who worked as a press secretary for then-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
John Bennett Perry and Matthew Perry played father and son in the 1997 romantic comedy “Fools Rush In,” and later in a 2004 episode of “Scrubs,” which Matthew Perry directed.
Perry also attended grade school with Trudeau, who on Saturday described his friend’s death as “shocking and saddening.”
“I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them,” Trudeau wrote on social media. “Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”