Matthew Perry dead aged 54 - Friends star 'drowns' at LA home
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Matthew Perry, star of the hit US comedy series Friends, has been found dead at his Los Angeles home aged 54.
One of the most familiar faces on television during the 10 series of Friends died after an apparent drowning.
In a statement Warner Bros, which made Friends, said: “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros Television Group family.“
“The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many.“
“This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
WATCH HERE: Showbiz expert Kinsey Schofield reacts to Matthew Perry's death
Keith Morrison, second from right, walks with police investigators down the street from where Matthew Perry's house in Pacific Palisades Saturday night.
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According to police, there was no apparent foul play and no confirmed cause of death
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A Los Angeles police officer said they were called to the actor’s home address for “a death investigation of a male in his 50s” at approximately 4.07pm local time (12.07am GMT).
Emergency services rushed to his Pacific Palisades home with the incident being treated as a water rescue.
According to police, there was no apparent foul play and no confirmed cause of death.
An investigation is ongoing.
TMZ was reportedly told by Perry's assistant that the actor had come home in the morning after a 2-hour round of pickleball. The assistant was then sent on an errand but when he returned about 2 hours later, he discovered the actor unresponsive and called the police.
Sources told the publication that Perry was allegedly found in the jacuzzi of his home.
Perry was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004.
During his time on the show, he struggled with addiction and anxiety which he described in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing which was published in 2022.
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Actor Matthew Perry (L) and studio executive Peter Roth attend Game One of the NBA Finals
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“I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame,” he wrote.
“If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out.
“I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick.”
Matthew Perry reunited with the Friends cast last year
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He garnered two more Emmy nominations for his appearances as associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy in The West Wing.
His TV work also included the short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – written by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin – while he starred in several films, including Fools Rush In opposite Selma Hayek and his father John – who also appeared in one episode of Friends – 17 Again and The Whole Nine Yards alongside Bruce Willis.
He garnered two more Emmy nominations for his appearances as associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy in The West Wing.
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NBC, which aired the programme, tweeted: “He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations.”
Friends co-stars Maggie Wheeler and Morgan Fairchild have remembered Matthew Perry for the joy he “brought to so many” following his “shock” death age 54.
Matthew Perry with co-star Courtney Cox during the show's 1990s peak
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Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein during the early series of the TV show and often appeared to perform her catchphrase “Oh! My! God!”, paid tribute to Perry on Instagram.“What a loss,” Wheeler captioned a picture of the pair.
“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.”
Meanwhile Fairchild, who played Perry’s on-screen mother and erotic novel writer Nora Bing, said on Twitter: “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry.”
The 73-year-old US actress added: “The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock.
“I’m sending love and condolences to his friends and family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road and Falcon Crest.”
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who knew Perry as a boy, described his death as “shocking and saddening.”
“I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play,” he said, “and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”
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