Matthew Perry death – latest: Actor’s family and Friends co-stars pay tribute as 911 call released

Tributes are pouring in from around the world for the actor Matthew Perry after his death aged 54.

The American-Canadian star, best known for his portrayal of sarcastic joker Chandler Bing in Friends, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday. He died in an apparent drowning in his hot tub. A 911 call captured a small portion of the police response.

Perry’s family released a statement to People, saying: “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”

Friends co-stars Maggie Wheeler and Morgan Fairchild were among the many actors remembering Perry.

Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein on the show, wrote on Instagram: “What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry.”

Fairchild, who played Perry’s on-screen mother Nora Bing, said on Twitter: “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry.”

Selma Blair, Paget Brewster, Octavia Spencer and Yvette Nicole Brown also shared condolences.

During a Las Vegas show, Adele thanked Perry for being “so open” with his addiction struggles.

Key points

• Matthew Perry 911 call audio released as cause of death probed

• Remembering Matthew Perry’s iconic final line in Friends

• Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice in ‘Friends', mourns Matthew Perry

• Matthew Perry opened up about his struggles while filming 'Friends’

Matthew Perry’s family break silence on his death aged 54: ‘You all meant so much to him’

03:30 , Andrea Cavallier

Matthew Perry’s family is speaking out following the actor’s sudden death on Saturday.

Matthew was born in 1969 to his parents John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison, but they split less than a year later. He was raised by his mother and father, as well as his stepfather, Dateline NBC’s Keith Morrison.

His family told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that they are “heartbroken” by his “tragic” death.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” the family said. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.”

They added: “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”

Andrea Cavallier reports...

Matthew Perry’s family speak out on his death

Matthew Perry 911 call audio released as cause of death probed

03:27 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A 911 call made from Matthew Perry’s Los Angeles home on the night he died references “drowning” just before first responders arrived to find the actor unresponsive in a jacuzzi.

Perry, the actor best known for his role of Chandler Bing on Friends, was found dead in his jacuzzi in his Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Saturday. He was 54.

In the dispatch audio obtained by TMZ, a man can be heard saying, “Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning.” Other bits of the 16-minute clip were bleeped out.

Tape was put up around the home, but law enforcement sources told TMZ no drugs were found at the scene and no foul play is suspected.

His official cause of death is still under investigation.

Matthew Perry 911 call audio released as cause of death probed

Watch: HBO’s trailer for the 2021 ‘Friends’ reunion

03:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Matthew Perry’s book was ranked No. 1 on Amazon on Sunday

02:00 , Andrea Cavallier

On Sunday, Perry’s book was ranked No. 1 on Amazon, supplanting Britney Spears’ memoir, the Associated Press reported.

Unknown at the time was the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences.

“‘Friends’ was huge. I couldn’t jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame,” he wrote in his memoir. “I had a secret and no one could know.”

“I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn’t laugh, and that’s not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions,” Perry wrote. “If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick.”

He recalled in his memoir that Aniston confronted him about being inebriated while filming.

“I know you’re drinking,” he remembered her telling him once. “We can smell it,” she said, in what Perry called a “kind of weird but loving way, and the plural ‘we’ hit me like a sledgehammer.”

In the foreword to Perry’s memoir, Lisa Kudrow described him as “whip smart, charming, sweet, sensitive, very reasonable, and rational.” She added, “That guy, with everything he was battling, was still there.”

Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice on Friends, said ‘the world will miss’ Matthew Perry

01:30 , Andrea Cavallier

Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice on Friends, has said “the world will miss” her co-star Matthew Perry.

“What a loss.The world will miss you Mathew Perry . The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared,” she wrote on Instagram.

Wheeler had earlier this year said reading Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing was “sad”.

The actor said she had “many startling revelations about the ways Matthew has suffered over the years trying to wrangle his addictions” while reading the book.

“I think he’s done a tremendous job and he’s really survived the unthinkable,” Wheeler had said. “And I’m so proud of him and I’m so happy he’s here and I think it’s very brave that he’s written a book and he’s out talking about it, he’s really helping a lot of people.”

Matthew Perry 911 call audio released as cause of death probed

01:00 , Andrea Cavallier

A 911 call made from Matthew Perry’s Los Angeles home on the night he died references “drowning” just before first responders arrived to find the actor unresponsive in a jacuzzi. Andrea Cavallier reports

Matthew Perry 911 call audio released as cause of death probed

Rumer Willis recalls the time her father Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry filmed movies together

00:00 , Andrea Cavallier

“I’m so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing,” she wrote in an Instagram story post.

“When I was a kid and I was on Set while he and my dad were doing the whole nine and whole 10 yards he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sister and me and I think his physical Comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much, I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy I hope he can rest peacefully.”

One of Matthew Perry’s last Instagram was about his father

Sunday 29 October 2023 23:30 , Andrea Cavallier

One of the last social media posts made by Matthew Perry was a photo of himself and his father John.

“Here is me, and my father John, both holding a beverage,” he said on Instagram.

Watch Matthew Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

Sunday 29 October 2023 23:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Gwyneth Paltrow recalls ‘magical summer’ in tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 22:30 , Andrea Cavallier

The actress posted a tribute to the Friends star on Instagram.

“I met Matthew Perry in 1993 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. We were both there for most of the summer doing plays. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass. It was a magical summer. “

“He had shot the pilot of Friends but it had not aired yet. He was nervous, hoping his big break was just around the corner. It was. We stayed friends for a while until we drifted apart, but I was always happy to see him when I did. I am super sad today, as so many of us are. I hope Matthew is at peace at long last. I really do.”

The 7 biggest talking points from Matthew Perry’s raw, honest memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 22:01 , Roisin O'Connor

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

The moment Matthew Perry clashed with Peter Hitchens over addiction

Sunday 29 October 2023 21:40 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Sunday 29 October 2023 21:21 , Roisin O'Connor

The ‘Friends’ star’s performances were a masterclass in comic timing. And in his life outside of Chandler Bing, he was disarmingly honest about his frailties and his struggles with addiction. Fiona Sturges pays tribute

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 21:01 , Roisin O'Connor

The entertainment world is in mourning after Friends star Matthew Perry’s death at the age of 54.

Perry was best known for his portrayal of the witty Chandler Bing in the stratospherically successful sitcom. He was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday 28 October.

The American-Canadian star died in an apparent drowning, his representative told NBC News.

Perry played sarcastic self-sabotager Chandler in all 10 seasons of Friends on NBC from 1994 to 2004, with the show catapulting him and the rest of the young cast – Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox – to global fame.

Supporting actors from Friends are among those who have led tributes to Perry.

Ellie Harrison reports:

Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Watch: HBO’s trailer for the 2021 ‘Friends’ reunion

Sunday 29 October 2023 20:41 , Roisin O'Connor

‘The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken’: Friends co-creators pay tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 20:30 , Andrea Cavallier

The co-creators of Friends paid tribute to Matthew Perry in a statement released following his sudden death.

Perry, who died on Saturday at the age of 54, was best known for his role of Chandler Bing on Friends.

Marta Kauffman and David Crane along with executive producer Kevin Bright said, “We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives.”

“He was a brilliant talent," the statement continued, according to Deadline. “It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment - not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart."

“We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”

Fans pay tribute to Matthew Perry’s work as an addiction recovery campaigner

Sunday 29 October 2023 20:20 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry reveals nightly studio live audience worry: ‘I felt I was gonna die’

Sunday 29 October 2023 20:00 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry and Chandler Bing: Two sides of the same coin

Sunday 29 October 2023 19:40 , Roisin O'Connor

It was often noted how similar Perry was to his on-screen role. When he first read the script, he was convinced someone had stalked him for a year, stolen his jokes and mimicked his “world-weary yet witty view of life”.

“It wasn’t that I thought I could play Chandler, I was Chandler,” he said.

The similarities were such that Perry’s actor friends approached him for advice before auditioning for the series in 1994. Perry would suggest techniques and claimed that his friends copied him; when it came to his own audition, he “broke all the rules” and used the odd emphases that became one of Chandler’s defining characteristics.

He admitted his insecurities to his new castmates during an interview arranged by producers before filming commenced. His humour was a defence mechanism, Indeed, Perry was so wracked by self-doubt that a joke met with silence from the audience would send him into “convulsions”.

Friends star Matthew Perry, who played king of sarcasm Chandler Bing, dies aged 54

Matthew Perry opens up about the time Jennifer Aniston confronted him over addictions

Sunday 29 October 2023 19:21 , Roisin O'Connor

Charlie Puth pays tribute to Matthew Perry at his concert

Sunday 29 October 2023 19:10 , Andrea Cavallier

The singer played the piano as he led concert-goers in a heartfelt rendition of the Friends theme song in honor of Matthew Perry at his show in Melbourne this weekend.

Matthew Perry is best known for his portrayal of sarcastic joker Chandler Bing in Friends.

Matthew Perry: Seven of the biggest revelations from Friends star’s memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 19:01 , Roisin O'Connor

‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing’ was released last year, and included Perry’s memories of his time on the hit sitcom Friends, along with deeply frank anecdotes about his struggles with addiction.

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

The moment Matthew Perry tore into ‘complete tool’ Peter Hitchens during Newsnight debate about drug addiction

Sunday 29 October 2023 19:00 , Andrea Cavallier

Matthew Perry, who has died suddenly aged 54, was known around the world as Chandler Bing, the saracastic king of the one-liner on the hit sitcom Friends.

Yet in his later years he also became a fierce advocate for addiction recovery, speaking frankly about his own struggles with drug and alcohol abuse over the years.

Outside of Friends, one of his most memorable TV appearances was in 2013, when he debated addiction on the BBC’s current affairs programme Newsnight with Baroness Meacher, an advocate for drug policy reform, and controversial author and broadcaster Peter Hitchens.

Full story:

The moment Matthew Perry tore into ‘complete tool’ Peter Hitchens on Newsnight

‘He brought so much joy’: Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 18:45 , Roisin O'Connor

Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Family of Matthew Perry say he 'brought so much joy to the world’

Sunday 29 October 2023 18:30 , Andrea Cavallier

Matthew Perry admits to beating up Justin Trudeau at school

Sunday 29 October 2023 18:16 , Roisin O'Connor

How Matthew Perry confronted his drug addiction, and spent his life urging others to seek help

Sunday 29 October 2023 18:00 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry, who has died aged 54, made no secret of his addiction struggles over the years, writing candidly about his substance abuse and attempts to stay sober in his affecting memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Released in 2021, the book chronicled the exacerbation of Perry’s addiction under the “white-hot flame of fame” after he shot to international stardom, aged 24, as the wise-cracking Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom Friends.

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name,” he wrote in the book’s opening passage. “My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

In the book, Perry recalled drinking heavily through the first two seasons of Friends, although he said he was never drunk or high on set, and then becoming addicted to the opiate pain medication Vicodin after a jet ski accident while filming Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek in 1996.

By the end of the 10th series of Friends, Perry became “entrenched in a lot of trouble”, he revealed years later.

Full story:

How Matthew Perry confronted his drug addiction, and urged others to seek help

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Sunday 29 October 2023 17:45 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Matthew Perry’s family speak out

Sunday 29 October 2023 17:35 , Megan Sheets

Matthew Perry’s family have spoken out on his “tragic” death.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother,” the family said in a statement to People. “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.

“You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”

Watch Matthew Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

Sunday 29 October 2023 17:30 , Roisin O'Connor

The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison pays tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 17:15 , Roisin O'Connor

The Inbetweeners actor Blake Harrison has recalled how Friends star Matthew Perry was a “huge inspiration” as he was growing up, indirectly encouraging him to “pursue acting”.

Perry, most well known for appearing on the sitcom Friends where he played funny guy Chandler Bing, died aged 54 after an apparent drowning, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ.

Harrison, 38, who played Neil on British comedy series The Inbetweeners about four boys navigating their way through school, is among those who have remembered what it was like to grow up watching the US TV programme in which Perry starred.

In a post to Twitter, formerly X, Harrison said: “Matthew Perry was a huge inspiration to me growing up.

“My friends & I would come into school having memorised his sarcastic one-liners, speech patterns, even Chandler’s dance.

“He brought me so much joy & without knowing it he encouraged me to pursue acting. Thank you.”

Press Association

Matthew Perry’s ‘Friends’ co-stars pay tribute to ‘brilliant’ actor

Sunday 29 October 2023 17:00 , Roisin O'Connor

Friends co-stars Maggie Wheeler and Morgan Fairchild have remembered Matthew Perry for the joy he “brought to so many” following his “shock” death age 54.

The actor, who became a superstar playing funnyman Chandler Bing during 10 seasons of the US hit comedy, died after an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home.

Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein during the early series of the TV show and often appeared to perform her catchphrase “Oh! My! God!”, paid tribute to Perry on Instagram.

“What a loss,” Wheeler captioned a picture of the pair. “The world will miss you Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on.

“I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”

Meanwhile Fairchild, who played Perry’s on-screen mother and erotic novel writer Nora Bing, said on Twitter: “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry.”

The 73-year-old US actress added: “The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love and condolences to his friends and family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road and Falcon Crest.”

When Matthew met Miriam...

Sunday 29 October 2023 16:45 , Roisin O'Connor

Thousands of fans are sharing their favourite memories of Matthew Perry, following his sudden death aged 54.

Among them is this fantastic clip of Perry being interviewed on The Graham Norton Show along with the always-iconic Miriam Margolyes, and fellow actor Gemma Arterton.

Unfortunately for Perry, who might not have been aware of Margolyes’s love of over-sharing, the Harry Potter star decided to tell the tale of the moment she met her idol, Sir Laurence Olivier.

Upon hearing the NSFW story, Perry joked (or perhaps he wasn’t joking) that this was the “most uncomfortable” moment of his entire life.

We’ll let the clip do the rest of the talking.

Matthew Perry’s final line of Friends resurfaces as actor dies aged 54

Sunday 29 October 2023 16:31 , Roisin O'Connor

The Independent’s tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 16:15 , Roisin O'Connor

When Matthew Perry was a teenager in Ottawa, Canada, he developed a dryly sarcastic manner of talking that was a big hit with his friends. At high school, he had discovered that he could use humour to get people’s attention – and attention and validation were what he craved. Muttering behind the back of a particularly belligerent teacher, he would say, “Could he be any meaner?”, to hoots of laughter.

Ten years later, reading the early scripts for Friends, a series about a group of twentysomething New Yorkers who lived in and out of each other’s apartments, Perry found a kindred spirit in the character of Chandler Bing, who used humour to send up his own insecurities and whose sarcastic one-liners – “Could she be more out of my league?” – would become his trademark.

Read this wonderful tribute to Matthew Perry by Fiona Sturges:

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Watch Matthew Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

Sunday 29 October 2023 16:00 , Roisin O'Connor

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 15:45 , Roisin O'Connor

From his relationship with Julia Roberts to the moment Jennifer Aniston confronted him about his addiction.

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

Matthew Perry’s advice in last interview before his death: ‘People do change’

Sunday 29 October 2023 15:31 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry gave advice to those going through addiction in one of his last videos posted to Instagram in November 2022.

In a final interview posted to his page before his death aged 54 on Saturday, 28 October, the Friends star spoke to the camera and said: “I want people to understand that they’re not alone... their behaviour is not insane... they have a disease and it’s not their fault.”

The clip was released to promote the actor’s memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he wrote about addiction to alcohol and painkillers.

Matthew Perry’s advice in last interview before his death: ‘People do change’

How Matthew Perry confronted his drug addiction, and spent his life urging others to seek help

Sunday 29 October 2023 15:16 , Roisin O'Connor

The Friends star, who has died aged 54, was a prominent campaigner for drugs reform and spoke candidly about his own battles with substance abuse.

Read more:

How Matthew Perry confronted his drug addiction, and urged others to seek help

Matthew Perry’s ‘iconic’ final line of Friends resurfaces as actor dies aged 54

Sunday 29 October 2023 15:00 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry had the last laugh at his request in Friends’ final episode.

The legendary clip of Chandler Bing’s final line has resurfaced following multiple US media reports of the actor’s death at the age of 54 on Saturday, 28 October.

In the hit sitcom’s last episode in 2004, “The Last One, Part 2”, the show ended with Chandler’s sarcastic joke.

Perry wrote in his memoir that he got to say the final line because he asked the show’s co-creator and executive producer Marta Kauffman if he could do so.

Fans on social media praised the last line as “iconic” in tributes to the star.

Matthew Perry’s ‘iconic’ final line of Friends resurfaces as actor dies aged 54

Watch Matthew Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

Sunday 29 October 2023 14:45 , Roisin O'Connor

Matthew Perry’s portrayal of the sarcastic yet vulnerable Chandler Bing on Friends made the sitcom star a household name.

Clips of the actor’s best moments in the show have resurfaced following the news that Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday 28 October.

During the show’s 10 seasons, Chandler had many iconic scenes - from trying new armchairs with Joey to stealing the last laugh with the show’s final line, at the request of Perry himself.

Watch Matthew Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

‘He brought so much joy’: Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 14:30 , Roisin O'Connor

“What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”

Read more of the beautiful tributes pouring in for Friends star Matthew Perry:

Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Sunday 29 October 2023 14:12 , Roisin O'Connor

The ‘Friends’ star’s performances were a masterclass in comic timing. And in his life outside of Chandler Bing, he was disarmingly honest about his frailties and his struggles with addiction.

Read Fiona Sturges’s moving tribute:

Matthew Perry, the comic genius who wore his big, bruised heart on his sleeve

Perry said he didn’t just play Chandler, he ‘was Chandler'

Sunday 29 October 2023 13:30 , Ellie Harrison

On being cast as the insecure, anxious, wise-cracking Chandler Bing in Friends, Perry once said: “It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life...

“It wasn’t that I thought I could play Chandler; I was Chandler.”

Canadian PM and old school friend of Perry’s, Justin Trudeau, shares warm words

Sunday 29 October 2023 13:26 , Ellie Harrison

“Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening,” he wrote on Twitter/X. “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. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

What we learnt from Perry’s memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 13:13 , Ellie Harrison

Perry released his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, almost exactly one year ago on 1 November 2022.

From his relationship with Julia Roberts to his addiction struggles during Friends, here’s what we learnt...

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

Watch Perry say the final line of Friends in 2004

Sunday 29 October 2023 12:39 , Ellie Harrison

Perry asked the co-creator and executive producer of Friends, Marta Kauffman, if he could say the last ever line in the stratospherically successful sitcom.

Watch the iconic moment below...

Watch Perry’s most iconic Friends scenes

Sunday 29 October 2023 12:12 , Ellie Harrison

Perry played king of sarcasm Chandler Bing in all 10 seasons of Friends. Here are some of his finest moments in the show, from enjoying reclining chairs with Joey to being exasperated with on-off girlfriend Janice...

Journalist and author Jon Ronson calls Perry ‘extremely thoughtful and generous'

Sunday 29 October 2023 11:59 , Ellie Harrison

Ronson, who directed Perry in an episode of Playhouse Presents, shared a moving tribute.

He wrote on Twitter/X: “I worked with Matthew Perry nine years ago and got to know him a little. He was extremely thoughtful and generous, even letting us stay in his home, for no reason other than kindness. Anyway, when someone is that kind, you should let people know, hence this tweet.”

Hannah Waddingham calls Perry ‘total magic'

Sunday 29 October 2023 11:50 , Ellie Harrison

The Sex Education and Ted Lasso star called Perry “magic” on Instagram, writing: “I can’t stop looking at photos of this beautiful man. I’m so so sad that such a cruel, unyielding disease always tried to define him. It will never define him for me. His untouchable gift for comedy, his total honesty on and off screen and his beautiful, handsome face will.”

Perry’s struggles with addiction

Sunday 29 October 2023 11:37 , Ellie Harrison

At one point during his time on Friends, Perry was taking up to 55 Vicodin painkillers a day and was down to just 128lb (just over 9st) in weight. He said in a 2016 interview that he did not remember filming three seasons of the show because he was a “little out of it at the time”.

Read everything he’s said about his addiction issues here...

What Matthew Perry said about his addiction struggles

The time Matthew Perry went on Newsnight

Sunday 29 October 2023 11:00 , Ellie Harrison

The star was open about his issues with addiction over the years, and outside of Friends, one of his most memorable TV appearances was in 2013, when he debated the topic on the BBC’s current affairs programme Newsnight.

He appeared on the programme with Baroness Meacher, an advocate for drug policy reform, and controversial author and broadcaster Peter Hitchens.

Let’s just say, Perry and Hitchens did not see eye to eye. Read all about their encounter here...

The moment Matthew Perry tore into ‘complete tool’ Peter Hitchens on Newsnight

All the biggest tributes so far...

Sunday 29 October 2023 10:35 , Ellie Harrison

The other five lead Friend stars are yet to comment publicly on Perry’s death, but supporting actors from the sitcom’s cast have paid tribute, as have many others across the entertainment industry.

Read about all of their memories here...

Heartbroken Friends stars among those paying tribute to Matthew Perry

‘Without knowing it, he encouraged me to pursue acting'

Sunday 29 October 2023 10:22 , Ellie Harrison

Former star of The Inbetweeners, Blake Harrison, posted: “Matthew Perry was a huge inspiration to me growing up. My friends and I would come into school having memorised his sarcastic one-liners, speech patterns, even Chandler’s dance. He brought me so much joy and without knowing it he encouraged me to pursue acting. Thank you.”

Piers Morgan has shared his thoughts on Perry and his ‘powerful’ memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 10:10 , Ellie Harrison

Morgan called Perry “a great actor, but by his own admission, a very tormented guy”. He added: “His recent autobiography about his addiction-ravaged life was one of the most powerful, honest and revealing I’ve ever read. Such sad news.”

Read the biggest moments from the memoir here.

Perry died in an ‘apparent drowning’

Sunday 29 October 2023 10:00 , Ellie Harrison

Perry was found dead in an apparent drowning, his representative told NBC News. A Los Angeles fire department spokesperson confirmed first responders were called to Perry’s home in Pacific Palisades about a “water emergency”.

Watch Perry say the final line of Friends in 2004

Sunday 29 October 2023 09:46 , Ellie Harrison

Perry asked the co-creator and executive producer of Friends, Marta Kauffman, if he could say the last ever line in the stratospherically successful sitcom.

Watch the iconic moment below...

Janice star Maggie Wheeler says she feels ‘so very blessed’ to have worked with Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 09:21 , Ellie Harrison

“What a loss,” the actor wrote on Instagram. “The world will miss you Matthew Perry . The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”

Wheeler played Janice in Friends, a love interest of Chandler who had an extremely grating laugh and who he was often trying to hide from.

David Baddiel says Perry was ‘the most purely funny’ star of Friends

Sunday 29 October 2023 09:03 , Ellie Harrison

The comedian wrote on Twitter/X: “Friends has always been a bit sneered at critically – too glossy, too popular – but actually it was an amazingly funny and engaging sitcom, driven by six brilliant comic actors, of which Matthew Perry was the most purely funny.”

What we learnt from Perry’s memoir

Sunday 29 October 2023 08:40 , Ellie Harrison

Perry released his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, almost exactly one year ago on 1 November 2022.

From his relationship with Julia Roberts to his addiction struggles during Friends, here’s what we learnt...

Seven of the biggest revelations from Matthew Perry’s memoir

Selma Blair shares Instagram selfie with Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 08:20 , Ellie Harrison

Blair wrote that she loved Perry “unconditionally”, adding that she is “broken”.

Blair starred in a Friends episode called “The One With Christmas In Tulsa”. She played a character called Wendy who flirts with Chandler while he’s away for work.

Perry’s ‘The Odd Couple’ co-star Wendell Pierce shares memories

Sunday 29 October 2023 08:08 , Ellie Harrison

“Damn,” the star of The Wire wrote on Twitter/X. “For two years Matthew Perry was my boss, my colleague, and a giving, kind, funny man. I pray and hope he is at peace.”

In the sitcom The Odd Couple, Pierce played the agent of Perry’s Oscar Madison, a lazy sportswriter and sports talk radio personality.

Canadian PM and old school friend of Perry’s, Justin Trudeau, shares warm words

Sunday 29 October 2023 08:03 , Ellie Harrison

“Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening,” he wrote on Twitter/X. “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. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

‘Your book shifted so many close to my heart’: Viola Davis mourns Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 07:04 , Anuj Pant

Viola Davis mourned Matthew Perry and sid the news of his death is “devastating”. The Oscar-winning actor praised Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, released last year, in which the Friends star opened up about his struggles with addiction.

“This is devastating. Your book shifted so many close to my heart,” the Oscar-winning actor said on Instagram.

“The people no one sees and most throwaway. It was a gift. Beyond the joy you brought to many, your heart reigned supreme. Rest well.....know that you brought love.”

Network that aired all 10 seasons of ‘Friends’ mourns Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 06:58 , Anuj Pant

NBC Entertainment, the network that aired all 10 seasons of Friends, has paid tribute to star actor Matthew Perry.

“We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry,” it said on X/Twitter.

“He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations.”

Actor Chad Lowe remembers Matthew Perry as ‘one of the funniest people I knew'

Sunday 29 October 2023 06:26 , Anuj Pant

Actor Chad Lowe paid tribute to Matthew Perry. He said the Friends star was “one of the funniest people I knew” and praised Perry’s efforts of battling addiction.

“So sad to learn about Matthew Perry’s death. He was one of the funniest people I knew,” he said on X/Twitter.

“It was hard to watch him struggle with his alcoholism over the years. But he was courageous in the fight and helped a lot of people by going public with his battles. He was loved by so many.”

Friends co-stars remember Matthew Perry after death: ‘The world will miss you’

Sunday 29 October 2023 05:17 , Anuj Pant

Friends co-stars Maggie Wheeler and Morgan Fairchild have remembered Matthew Perry for the joy he “brought to so many” following his “shock” death age 54.

The actor, who became a superstar playing funnyman Chandler Bing during 10 seasons of the US hit comedy Friends, died after an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home, US outlets have reported.

Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein during the early series of the TV show and often appeared to perform her catchphrase “Oh! My! God!”, paid tribute to Perry on Instagram.

Read more below.

Friends co-stars remember Matthew Perry after death: ‘The world will miss you’

One of Matthew Perry’s last Instagram posts was a photo of him and his father

Sunday 29 October 2023 05:12 , Anuj Pant

One of the last social media posts made by Matthew Perry was a photo of himself and his father John.

“Here is me, and my father John, both holding a beverage,” he said on Instagram.

Octavia Spencer ‘incredibly saddened to hear of Matthew Perry’s passing'

Sunday 29 October 2023 04:53 , Anuj Pant

Octavia Spencer has mourned the death of Friends star Matthew Perry on Instagram.

The Oscar-winning actor shared a tribute alongside a photo of the actor.

“His gift to the world will be remembered forever. Sending love to Matthew’s family, friends, co-stars and millions of fans around the world,” she wrote.

Actor Meredith Salenger says she knew Perry since they were teenagers

Sunday 29 October 2023 04:37 , Anuj Pant

Actor Meredith Salenger shared a number of old photographs of her and Matthew Perry as well as one during the ongoing actors’ strike. Salenger had starred with Perry in the movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.

“Oh no no no no no! Matty! Oh man. My heart breaks. Matty... Matthew and I have known each other since were were 16 years old. Oh man. No words. Rest in peace,” she wrote on X/Twitter.

Maggie Wheeler mourns Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 04:27 , Anuj Pant

Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice in Friends, has said “the world will miss” her co-star Matthew Perry.

“What a loss.The world will miss you Mathew Perry . The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared,” she wrote on Instagram.

Wheeler had earlier this year said reading Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing was “sad”.

The actor said she had “many startling revelations about the ways Matthew has suffered over the years trying to wrangle his addictions” while reading the book.

“I think he’s done a tremendous job and he’s really survived the unthinkable,” Wheeler had said. “And I’m so proud of him and I’m so happy he’s here and I think it’s very brave that he’s written a book and he’s out talking about it, he’s really helping a lot of people.”

Matthew Perry opened up about his struggles while filming ‘Friends'

Sunday 29 October 2023 04:05 , Anuj Pant

Matthew Perry had opened up about his struggles with addiction while filming Friends.

In his autobiography Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which was released last year, 53-year-old Perry revealed that he struggled with addiction and nearly died at aged 49, when his colon burst from opioid overuse.

In it, Perry said that fans of Friends can tell whether he was drinking alcohol or taking drugs “from season to season” by “gauging” his weight and noting his facial hair throughout the show.

Perry received treatment while filming the later seasons of the show and describes being picked up from filming the season seven finale, in which Chandler and Monica (Courteney Cox) get married, to return to rehab.

“‘Friends’ was huge. I couldn’t jeopardize that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors. I loved the scripts. I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame,” he wrote in his memoir. “I had a secret and no one could know.”

“I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn’t laugh, and that’s not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions,” Perry wrote. “If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick.”

He recalled in his memoir that Jennifer Aniston confronted him about being inebriated while filming.“I know you’re drinking,” he remembered her telling him once. “We can smell it,” she said, in what Perry called a “kind of weird but loving way, and the plural ‘we’ hit me like a sledgehammer.”

‘Friends’ made Matthew Perry one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actors

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:47 , Associated Press

Matthew Perry’s 10 seasons on Friends made him one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer.

As Chandler, he played a sarcastic yet insecure and neurotic roommate of Joey, played by LeBlanc, before the character married Cox’s Monica.

The series was one of television’s biggest hits and found surprising popularity with younger fans in recent years on streaming services.

The series ran from 1994 until 2004. A reunion special in 2021 was hosted by James Corden and fed into huge interest in seeing the cast together again, although the HBO Max reunion was the actors discussing the show and not a continuation of their characters’ storylines.

Perry received one Emmy nomination for his Friends role and two more for appearances as an associate White House counsel on The West Wing.

Perry also had several notable film roles, starring opposite Salma Hayek in the rom-com Fools Rush In and opposite Bruce Willis in the crime comedy The Whole Nine Yards.

Comedian Lisa Ann Walter recalls Matthew Perry in ‘The Whole Nine Yards’

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:42 , Anuj Pant

Comedian and actor Lisa Ann Walter, who co-starred with Matthew Perry in The Odd Couple, has remembered the actor’s performance in The Whole Nine Yards.

“In The Whole Nine Yards - Matthew Perry runs full force into a patio door - that and the scene that followed is one of the top comedic moments I’ve witnessed,” she wrote on X/Twitter.

“ I told him so when I recurred on The Odd Couple. He smiled so big I thought he’d crack his face.”

Yvette Nicole Brown talks about ‘great loss’: ‘54 is too young to go'

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:30 , Anuj Pant

Yvette Nicole Brown, who starred alongside Matthew Perry in The Odd Couple, said the entire entertainment world has suffered a great loss.

“Our #OddCouple family suffered a great loss today. The entire entertainment world has,” she wrote on X/Twitter.

“I am too sad about the news to say more than this: @mattyperry4 was a sweetheart who deserved more peace in this life. 54 is too young to go. We love you, Matty!”

Warner Bros TV, which produced ‘Friends’, pays tribute to Matthew Perry

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:19 , Anuj Pant

Warner Bros TV has paid tribute to Matthew Perry on social media. The studio produced Friends.

“We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing,” said the Instagram post. “He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”

Mira Sorvino pays tribute to Matthew Perry’s ‘singular wit’

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:15 , Anuj Pant

Actor Mira Sorvino starred with Matthew Perry in the 1994 movie Parallel Lives.

On X/Twitter, Sorvino paid tribute to her co-star by reminiscing about his “singular wit”.

“Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!”

Paget Brewster says Matthew Perry ‘already too busy making everyone laugh up there’

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:09 , Anuj Pant

Paget Brewster, who played Kathy in season four of Friends, mourned Perry’s death in a post on X/Twitter.

“I’m so very sad to hear about @MatthewPerry. He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after,” she wrote.

“Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though.. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.”

Friends star Matthew Perry dead aged 54, reports say

Sunday 29 October 2023 03:03 , Anuj Pant

Matthew Perry has died at age 54, according to reports.

The actor beloved for his portrayal of Chandler Bing on Friends was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles-area home on Saturday, the LA Times and TMZ reported, citing law enforcement sources.

Police were called to the home at around 4pm and found Perry unresponsive, the sources said. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Independent that officers were called to the home but declined to comment further.

There were no initial signs of foul play, sources said. The investigation is ongoing.

Perry was born in 1969 to father John Bennett Perry, an actor, and mother Suzanne Marie Langford in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood between Montreal, Canada, and Los Angeles.

Megan Sheets has more.

Friends star Matthew Perry dead aged 54, reports say

Sunday 29 October 2023 02:59 , Anuj Pant

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog as reactions pour in to the reported death of Friends actor Matthew Perry.