Losing a Friend: The Passing of Matthew Perry

Image c/o Getty Images

By Matthew Colvin
Entertainment Columnist

​

On October 28, 2023, renowned actor Matthew Perry passed away from an apparent drowning in his Pacific Palisades home. The “Friends” star was found unresponsive in his hot tub after a 911 call that afternoon and was pronounced dead at 4:17 PM that day. Perry was an incredibly successful comedic actor, most well known for portraying Chandler Bing in NBC’s long-running hit sitcom “Friends.” His comedic ability and timing were such that he earned an Emmy nomination in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He performed in numerous other comedic and dramatic roles as well, including “The West Wing” and “Scrubs.”

Perry was notably outspoken about his lifelong struggle with drugs and alcohol, publishing a chronicle of it in his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” In it he openly detailed everything from opioid-induced near-death experiences to how he had spent as much as $7 million on rehabilitation efforts over the course of his life, only to relapse several times. Perry’s exact cause of death is still “deferred,” as his autopsy results are yet to be released until a toxicology report is fully completed. Seeing that such reports can take weeks to run, it may still be some time until his cause of death is known for certain.

Since Perry’s death, a massive outpouring of love and support has occurred, with dozens of celebrities paying tribute. Perhaps chief among them were his former Friends costars, who issued a statement saying, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We were family.” In honor of Perry’s battle with addiction, the Matthew Perry Foundation has been established in the wake of his passing by the National Philanthropic Trust in order to help those similarly affected by alcoholism and drug addiction. Perry is survived by his divorced parents, Suzanne Morrison and John Perry, and five half-siblings.