Actor Matthew Perry, who played the character Chandler Bing in the series “Friends”, was found dead inside his home at the age of 54, according to what American media reported on Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reported that the actor’s assistant was found dead in the Jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles. Perry received first aid and attempts to revive his heart, but they did not succeed.
A Los Angeles Police spokesman told Agence France-Presse that police officers intervened at 16:10 (23:10 GMT), without confirming the name of the deceased person. The police did not find any evidence indicating that a crime might have occurred at the place, according to what the newspaper and the specialized website TMZ reported from sources whose identity was kept secret.
Warner Bros. Studios, which produced the famous series, expressed “shock” after receiving news of Perry’s death. “Perry has been a true gift to all of us,” the studio wrote in a statement. “Our condolences go out to his family, loved ones, and all his fans.”
Perry was famous for his comic character, Chandler Bing, in the series “Friends,” which was very popular and was broadcast on NBC between 1994 and 2004 for ten seasons, which included 230 episodes.
The actor had suffered for years from addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and had resorted many times to rehabilitation centers. During his most recent television appearance, Perry surprised the audience by admitting that he suffered from severe anxiety “every night” while filming the series “Friends.”
In his memoirs published last year, Perry admitted that he underwent 65 rehabilitation sessions to get rid of his drug addiction, and spent more than $9 million for this purpose. TMZ reported that no drugs were found at the scene of the actor’s death on Saturday.
In addition to “Friends,” Perry starred in films such as “Falls Rush In” and “The Whole Nine Yards.” He underwent many surgeries related to drug addiction problems, including a colon operation that lasted seven hours in 2018, and he even went so far as to say, “I was supposed to be dead.”
Along with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry made this TV series a success, which is loved by millions, especially among the younger generation in the United States and the world. The comedy series narrates the adventures of a group of friends – Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Ross and Chandler – in New York, interspersed with romantic relationships between them, including between Monica and Chandler.
In the final stages of the series, each of the six heroes was receiving about one million dollars per episode. Variety magazine even reported that they were asked to pay $2.5 million each to film the 2021 reunion episode. During this episode, Matthew Perry raised concerns from his fans due to his apparent slurred speech.
Matthew Perry suffered for years from addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and many times turned to rehabilitation centers
Matthew Perry was born in the state of Massachusetts in the northeastern United States in 1969, to parents from Canada and the United States. He grew up between Montreal and Los Angeles. His mother is a Canadian journalist who worked for former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, while his father is an actor.
The series “Friends” achieved great public success and left its mark on a generation of viewers. Showing it on Netflix allowed it to attract a new audience, which confirms the popularity of the comedy series, despite the decline in the popularity of this type of work, according to analysts.
Obituary messages from Hollywood began flowing on social media after news of the death. Actress Mina Sorvino, who starred with Perry in the 1994 TV movie “Parallel Lives,” described the late actor as “a gentle and troubled soul.”
Matthew Perry played small roles before he was the last actor chosen to participate in the series “Friends,” where his character dazzled followers with his biting sense of humor, sarcastic talent, and lack of self-confidence.
Perry never married in his life, nor did he win any Emmy Awards, the most prestigious American television awards, despite being nominated for them five times.
A.G/WP (AFP, DPA)
