American actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as genius Chandler Bing in the 1990s hit series Friends, has died aged 54.
Law enforcement agencies told US media that the actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles. Friends, which tells the story of six young friends living in New York, aired from 1994 to 2004.
The final episode was watched by 52.5 million people in the United States, making it the most-watched TV series of the 2000s. The LA Times and TMZ, which first reported the news of Perry’s death, reported that Perry was found unconscious in a hot tub at his home.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman told the BBC that first responders responded to an address for an unspecified “water emergency” in the Pacific Palisades area, but did not name Perry. Warner Bros., which produces the long-running series, which is broadcast around the world and loved by a new generation of viewers, described Perry as “a real gift to all of us.”
Perry was born in Massachusetts in 1969 and grew up in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school with Justin Trudeau, who later became Prime Minister of Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told X: “Matthew Perry’s death is shocking and saddening. I will never forget the school yard games we enjoyed and I know people around the world will never forget the joy they brought. Thanks for the smile, Matthew. You are loved and will be missed.”
Perry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager. He played the role of Chaz Russell in Boys Will Be Boys and also had roles in series such as Growing Pains.
But she became an international star on Friends, a show that follows the lives of six New Yorkers as they navigate dating, careers and friendships. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, the comedy became one of the most successful shows of all time.
Perry stars as Chandler Bing, an awkward character known for his sarcastic words and childish behavior with roommate Joey Tribbiani. For this role, he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2002.
However, at the height of her fame, Perry struggled with painkillers and alcohol addiction and visited rehab several times. In 2016, he told BBC Radio 2 that he couldn’t remember filming Friends after three years because of alcohol and drugs.
Last year, he said in an interview that he had never seen the drama. “I didn’t watch the show, I didn’t watch it because it was like, ‘Alcohol, opiates, booze, cocaine,'” he said. “I felt that in my performance every season. So I don’t want to see that. Because that’s what I see.
“But I think I’ll watch because it’s amazing to see how it touches the hearts of different generations.”
Entertainment journalist Shawn Mundell described the overwhelming emotions felt in Los Angeles as “shock” and “overall reaction” and said he could not believe Perry had died. He told BBC News that Perry was instrumental in the success of Friends and was “at the center of the wheel”.
“Her character was the perfect combination of white, but with real heart and skin,” she said. Perry also appeared in several films, including Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes and Whole Nine Yards, but never found a film project that came close to the huge success and fame she found in Friends.
However, his later TV work received some praise. Aaron Sorkin played White House aide Joe Quincy on The West Wing, for which he received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, in 2003 and 2004.
He appeared in Sorkin’s next series , Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. He continues to be Mr. He wrote and produced his own show called Sunshine, in which he also starred. Apart from the Friends reunion, his last major TV project was the reboot of The Odd Couple, which ran for three seasons on American screens.
In 2017, Perry tweeted that she was stopped when she arrived on set and noticed her face painted green on the stage door. Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s ex-girlfriend Janice on Friends, was one of Perry’s co-stars and publicly paid tribute to the actor.
Wheeler said Perry had “many” joys in his “too short life.” “Every creative moment we share makes me feel blessed,” she wrote on Instagram.
Morgan Fairchild, who plays Perry’s mother and erotic novelist Nora Bing in the film, said she was “heartbroken by the sudden death of my ‘son’ Matthew Perry”.
He added: “The death of such an outstanding young actor is shocking.” Cruel Intentions actress Selma Blair said Perry was her “oldest friend” and added: “We all loved Matthew Perry, especially me.” daily. I loved him unconditionally.
And he is me. “And I was broken. broken heart. Sweet dreams Matty. good night.”
Five days ago, Matthew Perry shared his latest Instagram post. Interestingly, the photo she shared shows her in a hot tub.
