Andrew Eccles / ?Warner Bros. Television / courtesy Everett Collection

Matthew Perry Dies: ‘Friends’ Star Was 54

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated 10/28/23

Matthew Perry, best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, has died. He was 54.

The cause of death is reportedly drowning, according to TMZ. First responders found him in a jacuzzi in a home in Los Angeles on October 28 after responding to a call of cardiac arrest, the outlet reports, adding drugs were not present nor were there signs of foul play.

Perry, who was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, starred as Chandler Bing in all 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom Friends (1994-2004), but he got his start with an episode of 240-Robert in 1979, followed by guest spots on Charles in Charge, Silver Spoons, and The Tracey Ullman Show.

When given the opportunity to showcase some versatility post-Friends, Perry fared well with a guest stint on The West Wing, which inevitably led to a lead role in the short-lived series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, both of which showcased his considerable dramatic chops. However, due in large part to creating one of the most iconic characters in sitcom history, audiences were, not surprisingly, most responsive when he stuck close to the wisecracking persona that earned him his initial fame.

Perry’s other TV credits included episodes of Scrubs, Childrens Hospital, Cougar Town (with Friends costar Courteney Cox), and Web Therapy (with Friends costar Lisa Kudrow). He also recurred on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, as well as starred in Mr. Sunshine, Go On, and The Odd Couple. His last onscreen role was as Ted Kennedy in the miniseries The Kennedys After Camelot.

Perry was nominated for five Emmys, once for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Friends in 2002, and again for the Max reunion as part of the cast for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), twice for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his episodes of The West Wing in 2003 and 2004, and for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for the TNT movie The Ron Clark Story.

While Perry maintained a huge fan following, his ensuing movie career proved hit-or-miss, with his biggest successes coming in the form of broad comedies The Whole Nine Yards and 17 Again. His other film roles included Serving Sara, Almost Heroes, and Fools Rush In.

Perry released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in 2022, in which he opened up about, among other things, his fame, his drug and alcohol addictions (including during his time on Friends), and his recovery. “You can track the trajectory of my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season — when I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills. When I have a goatee, it’s lots of pills,” he wrote.

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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