Matthew Perry is dead. The American actor was found lifeless in his home in Los Angeles. This is reported by the tabloid TMZ, in agreement with industry magazines such as Variety and Hollywood Reporter. Perry, known from the sitcom Friends, was 54 years old.
Friends star Matthew Perry made series history as Chandler Bing
Perry was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. At the age of 15, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He made his first appearance in front of the camera in 1979: He appeared in an episode in the series 240-Robert. This was followed by further appearances in various TV formats as well as her first supporting roles in cinema and television films.
Perry gained worldwide fame in the 1990s through his casting in the NBC sitcom Friends, where he played one of the six main roles, namely Chandler Bing. In addition to Perry, the series’ main cast included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc. Friends started in September 1994 and ran until May 2004. The series had a total of 236 episodes.
Matthew Perry in the trailer for the touching Friends reunion:
Friends: The Reunion – Trailer (English) HD
Perry was unable to match the gigantic success of Friends as his career progressed. His next major series project, the 2006 Aaron Sorkin-created dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, was canceled after just one season on NBC. The ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine, on which Perry served as co-creator and lead actor, only managed 13 episodes in 2011.
Matthew Perry has enriched both television and cinema with his humor
He had more success with Odd Couple on CBS. Three seasons were created between 2015 and 2017. Perry was able to express his creative talent both in front of and behind the camera. In 2021 he returned to the Friends universe as part of a reunion special on the streaming service HBO Max. It’s the last time we saw him along with his co-stars from the TV milestone.
Perry wasn’t just present on television. He has also brought several memorable characters to life on screen with his heartwarming humor. In 1997, he headlined the RomCom Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek. The comedy No Half Measures followed three years later, in which he starred opposite Bruce Willis. His performance in 17 Again was particularly great, where he played the older version of Zack Efron.
In November 2022, Perry published his memoirs entitled Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In it he looks back on his great successes in Hollywood. He also talks about his drug and alcohol addiction and other problems he struggled with away from the spotlight.