PACIFIC PALISADES—Actor Matthew Perry, known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom “Friends” died on Saturday, October 28 at his home. TMZ first reported the news indicating that Perry’s death may have been an accidental drowning, but no official cause of death has been disclosed.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office indicated on Sunday, October 29, that the cause of death had been “deferred.” That means the autopsy has been completed, but more time is needed with the investigation of the death.
Perry was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday. The actor had returned home after playing pickle ball and asked his assistant to run a few errands which included picking up the new iPhone 15 for Perry. The assistant returned to the home and found Perry unresponsive and contacted 911.
His mother, Suzanne Morrison and his father, John Bennett Perry arrived at the home Saturday night after learning about the passing of Perry. Also at the home was his stepfather, Keith Morrison.
Authorities indicated no illegal drugs were found at the home, but other prescriptions were discovered. Perry acknowledged in his memoir from 2022, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” that he struggled with addiction from alcohol and drugs, in particular pain medication like Vicodin, after a skiing accident in 1997.
He spent several stints in rehab as he fought to kick his addiction. He noted during an interview with Diane Sawyer as he promoted his memoir, he didn’t recall filming several seasons of “Friends” as he battled his addiction.
The official “Friends” Instagram page released the following statement on October 29 after learning about Perry’s death:
“We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”
Perry portrayed Chandler Bing on “Friends” for 10 seasons, where the main cast put up a united front with their contracts during the ninth and tenth seasons where they earned $1 million per episode. His character was known for his sarcasm and funny one-liners. His roommate was Joey (Matt LeBlanc). They were neighbors who lived across the hall from Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Monica and Chandler ultimately became a couple on the series before getting married. His other co-stars on the comedy included Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer.
Perry also appeared on the TV series “Growing Pains,” “Silver Spoons,” “Ally McBeal,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “The Odd Couple.” He also starred in a string of movies including “The Whole Nine Yards,” “Fools Rush In” and “17 Again” alongside Zac Efron.
He opened the Perry House in 2013 at his former Malibu mansion to help those dealing with addition. He dated actress Julia Roberts in the 90s and actress Lizzy Caplan from 2006 to 2012. Perry did not have any children but was once engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz in 2020, but the engagement ended in 2021.
