On September 22nd, 1994, the first episode of Friends aired on NBC and the world was introduced to the beloved characters: Joey Tribbiani, Rachel Green, Ross Geller, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, and Chandler Bing.
Ten seasons later, the world fell in love with the sitcom and its characters, reaching audiences around the globe and across generations. A fan favorite among these characters, Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry, stole the hearts of many with his sarcasm, perfectly timed jokes, and charm.
Matthew Perry, born on August 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts was best known for his role in the NBC American sitcom, Friends as his character, Chandler Bing. Growing up in Canada with his mother, Suzanne Perry, Perry became the eldest brother of five younger siblings: Mia Perry, Willy Morrison, Madeleine Morrison, Caitlin Morrison, and Emily Morrison.
Unfortunately, on October 28th, 2023, Perry was found dead at age 54. The actor was found in a hot tub in his Los Angeles home. However, according to Los Angeles Fire Department, Perry’s cause of death remains unknown.
As authorities investigate the scene, Perry’s family, friends, and devoted fans mourn his loss. Social media floods with tributes made to him as the world remembers him through their favorite scenes of him in Friends. Without a doubt, Perry’s memory lives on through his works both on and off camera.
In 2022, Perry released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, where he shares the most pivotal and vulnerable moments of his life. In the memoir he speaks about his struggle with drug and alcohol abuse and his family life growing up. Perry also writes about his near-death experience, kicking off the book with his trip to the emergency room where he suffered a gastrointestinal perforation after his colon burst in 2019.
“The doctors told my family that I had a two percent chance to live,” Perry told People magazine at the time. Fighting for his life, Perry spent two weeks in a coma, five months in the hospital, and nine months using a colostomy bag. In his memoir, he reveals that he had fourteen surgeries on his stomach, serving as a reminder to stay sober.
Despite these trials, Perry had many accomplishments throughout his acting career. Nominated for over thirty awards, Perry was awarded for Best Global Actor in a Television Series Huading Award for his show, Go On, in 2013 and a Gold Derby Award for Drama Guest Actor in 2012 for his appearance in The Good Wife. His most notable award, which he won with his fellow cast members, was the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. The cast of Friends had won the award in 1996, just two years after its premiere.
Forgetting that Friends first aired in 1994, the show’s impact has reached audiences of all ages. The show has been passed down to families to watch and has become significant in pop culture. From parents to teenagers, the show has reached audiences far and wide.
Co-stars of Perry pay tribute to him on social media through Instagram posts and reminiscent photos of their time together on set. Maggie Wheeler, better known as Janice, Chandler’s reoccurring love interest in Friends, mourned Perry’s loss as she wrote, “What a loss. The world will miss you, Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too-short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
In addition, Friends and Warner Bros. Television’s official accounts mourn Perry on an Instagram post captioned, “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.”
Whether you are a Friends fan or not, the show’s impact reaches beyond its fan base and across the world of entertainment and television.
Fans young and old, all over the world, remember Matthew Perry by rewatching Friends to see him crack one more joke and flash a smile one last time. Perry’s legacy will live on through his devoted fans and his time on Friends for all to see.
