Hollywood mourns death of Matthew Perry: 'The world will miss you'
Matthew Perry was mourned by Hollywood stars following his death Saturday after an apparent drowning at his home in Los Angeles. The "Friends" actor was 54.
Matthew Perry tributes poured in Saturday following his death at home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. He was 54.
Perry, who began portraying Chandler Bing on the popular sitcom "Friends" when he was only 24 years old, died after an apparent drowning in a hot tub, law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. No drugs were reportedly found on the scene and no foul play is suspected.
The co-creators of "Friends," Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and executive producer Kevin Bright reacted to the news in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, "We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives."
"He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliche to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us. We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," the star's family told People. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
Gwyneth Paltrow, who Perry claimed to have made out with once in the early '90s in his memoir, shared a photo of the actor on Instagram. She captioned the post, "I met Matthew Perry in 1993 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. We were both there for most of the summer doing plays. He was so funny and so sweet and so much fun to be with. We drove out to swim in creeks, had beers in the local college bar, kissed in a field of long grass. It was a magical summer."
"He had shot the pilot of Friends but it had not aired yet. He was nervous, hoping his big break was just around the corner. It was. We stayed friends for a while until we drifted apart, but I was always happy to see him when I did. I am super sad today, as so many of us are. I hope Matthew is at peace at long last. I really do."
Valerie Bertinelli, another star who Perry had a brief romantic encounter with, posted a photo of him on her Instagram story. She wrote, "Rest in peace, sweet man."
Shannen Doherty, who acted alongside Perry when he appeared on "Beverly Hills 90210," shared an old photo of him on Instagram, writing in part, "We were a gang way back… We played dare and Matt had to say ridiculous things to girls at the bar. We just always had fun and supported each other. You would always find us all together in a booth speaking in our own made up language. And yes, Matt always had THAT sense of humor."
"Matt and I had a date and it was on Valentine’s Day. He wanted to get a reservation at a restaurant in Malibu but couldn’t so my dad got the reservation for him. We went and he talked about my dads Irish persuasiveness the majority of the night. Our friendship spanned a long time. A lifetime really. I know many are hurting, especially our little gang. He will be missed by many and definitely by us. Yes. I could be more poetic or say things better but right now, shock and sadness prevail."
Timothy Busfield, who starred with and directed Perry in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," told People, "Matty Perry was a gem… He was a good, good man and a sweet, funny soul who will be missed, desperately. Not only by his millions of devoted fans, but by those co-workers and friends who he made crumble to the floor with his fast and searing wit."
"Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!" Mira Sorvino wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Octavia Spencer shared on Instagram, "I’m incredibly saddened to hear of Matthew Perry’s passing today. His gift to the world will be remembered forever. Sending love to Matthew’s family, friends, co-stars and millions of fans around the world."
"My oldest boy friend. All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day," wrote Selma Blair on Instagram. "I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams."
Maggie Wheeler, who portrayed Chandler Bing's on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice on "Friends" wrote, "What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew 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."
The official "Friends" show, along with Warner Bros. TV, wrote on Instagram, "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."
"We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry. 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," NBC shared on X.
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Morgan Fairchild said she was "heartbroken about the untimely death of my ‘son’, Matthew Perry" in a tribute shared on X. Fairchild played Chandler's mother, Nora Tyler Bing, throughout the show.
"The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock," she added. "I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest."
Rumer Willis, daughter of Perry's "The Whole Nine Yards" costar Bruce Willis, took to her Instagram story to share, "I’m so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing. When I was a kid and I was on Set while he and my dad were doing whole nine and whole 10 yards he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sisters and me and I think his physical Comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much."
"I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy. I hope he can rest peacefully."
Olivia Munn shared a broken heart emoji and wrote "Oh no" with an image of the late actor.
She added, "He struggled so much with addiction and was brave enough to be open and honest about it. I'm so sorry to his family and friends who are getting this news today. Nothing short of heartbreaking. Rest in love, Matthew Perry."
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Fellow Canadian Tom Green wrote on X that he was "shocked and saddened" to hear about Perry's death.
"He is one of the many talented and incredible success stories from my hometown of Ottawa Canada. Rest in peace Matthew," Green said.
Perry spent upwards of $9 million on his decades-long substance abuse and sobriety battle. At one point, he was taking 55 Vicodin per day, he wrote in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing."
He revealed he had pursued 15 stints in rehab and underwent 14 surgeries for addiction-related medical issues. Perry was also on life support for a brief period and in a coma for two weeks.
Writing the memoir was part of his recovery. He said emotions came "pouring out of me – the painful stuff, hospitals, rehabs, all of this stuff – it poured out of me. It went really quickly."
In an October 2022 interview with the New York Times, Perry said he had been sober since early 2021.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Hume contributed to this report.
