Summary
- Friends star Matthew Perry dies at 54, reportedly found dead in hot tub. Cause of death not confirmed. No official statement from representatives.
- Perry, known for playing Chandler Bing, was loved for his sarcastic quips on the hit sitcom. His death comes nearly 20 years after the show ended.
- The tragic news of Perry's apparent drowning shocked fans worldwide. Details surrounding his death are still emerging.
Nearly 20 years after the hit sitcom came to an end, Friends star Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54. The actor starred on the NBC show at Chandler Bing, one of the more bombastic of the eponymous group of adults best ed for his sarcastic quips. Perry's performance would launch him into worldwide stardom, in which he would go on to lead a variety of short-lived comedy shows and big-screen movies.
The The Friends actor was reported to have been found dead in the hot tub in his Los Angeles home, with anonymous sources stating that he had died of an apparent drowning, though no official cause of death was confirmed at the time of writing. Perry's representatives have also yet to release an official statement regarding the actor's death.
Matthew Perry's Legacy Goes Beyond Friends
News of Perry's death comes on the heels of the Friends actor having embarked on a tour for his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he chronicled his issues with his rise to fame and how it led to his battle with addiction while filming the sitcom. Though having courted some controversy with the book's criticisms of Keanu Reeves in comparison to other deceased actors, Perry was seemingly in a good place in his life, having overcome many of the personal demons he faced in the past.
While he may be best ed for his turn as Chandler in the show, Perry's on-screen legacy extends well beyond his Friends tenure. Shortly before the sitcom came to a close, the actor found success on the big screen with the comedy The Whole Nine Yards, starring alongside Bruce Willis as a dentist who learns his neighbor is a former mob hitman with a price on his head. Though garnering mixed reviews, the movie was a box office hit, garnering the 2004 sequel The Whole Ten Yards featuring the return of the entire principal cast, save for Michael Clarke Duncan, whose character was killed in the first movie.
Even on the small screen, Perry continued to find acclaim on a variety of projects after Friends ended. The actor earned a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for his turn in the TV movie The Ron Clark Story, while also going on to lead the Aaron Sorkin-created dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Go On, as well as holding a recurring role in The Good Wife and its sequel spinoff The Good Fight. With Friends available to stream on Max, audiences are sure to flock to the streaming service to revisit Perry's iconic turn as Chandler in the coming months for comfort.
Source: LA Times