Could we BE any more heartbroken? The fans of one of the most popular and loved TV sitcoms, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., woke up to the most devasting news on Sunday morning. Everyone’s beloved Matthew Perry a.k.a. Chandler Bing had passed away in his LA home at the age of 54. It was a huge shock and so unexpected. This is a loss that feels personal to all the 90s kids.
It’s like we lost one of our own friends. Matthew Perry’s depiction of Chandler Bing was impeccable, there is no one else who could embody this character better than him. The socially awkward guy who used sarcasm as his defence mechanism and the most ideal life partner a woman could ask for, Chandler made us laugh our hearts out and melt them too.
When news broke out on Saturday, October 28, stating that Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his LA residence in Pacific Palisades, it left the whole world mourning their favourite comedic actor’s death. The Friends star had reportedly drowned in his tub.
The county’s medical examiner confirmed the actor’s death the following day, revealing that an investigation was currently open and that an autopsy had been scheduled. According to an initial report by the Los Angeles Times, no drugs were found at the scene and there were no signs of foul play. The results of Perry’s toxicology tests are expected to be released in the next few weeks.
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What Chandler Did For Us
F.R.I.E.N.D.S., a show that ran for a decade from ’94 to ’04, was more than just a show for its fans. The 6 friends made everyone laugh and proved to be a saving grace on people’s bad days. It also aided many who were suffering from mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. And Matthew had a major role to play in this through his depiction of Chandler and his sarcastic humour which was crowned as the most loved character on the show. Everyone has only been showering love and appreciation for the actor ever since the news dropped, thanking him for making their world a better place.
The Cast Is Yet To Respond
While the main cast of Friends, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, are yet to release a public statement about Perry’s death, an industry source revealed that they are devasted over the news of his passing and are preparing to release a joint tribute to their friend. “The cast is reeling from the loss of their brother because that’s what Matty was — their brother,” the source shared. They are all leaning on each other at this time. “They were together through the best of times and worst of times and when Matty was sick, they protected him, they looked after him fiercely.”
Matthew had been quite brave to be open about his struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism which he revealed in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” he wrote in his memoir. This instance is definitely “The One Where Our Hearts Broke.” The Friends cast’s bond went way beyond their onscreen friendships. Perry was always supported by his co-stars on his journey toward sobriety.
Showrunners Comment
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and series director Kevin Bright are shocked and deeply saddened by his demise. They issued a heartfelt joint statement saying, “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.
The statement further said, “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.” The trio ended it with a sombre play on the series’ episode titles: “This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
Celebrities Pay Respect
Tributes for the actor have continued to pour in on social media since news first broke of his passing. NBC and Warner Bros. Television Group also put up heartfelt messages for him. Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, the on-off girlfriend of Chandler Bing, wrote on Instagram. “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. ♥️”
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. pic.twitter.com/VcAlZ26Nso
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) October 29, 2023
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote, “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, 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.” Morgan Fairchild, who made guest appearances as Chandler’s mom on the series, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her condolences.
I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest. #RIPMatthew pic.twitter.com/QWMsBVJEAr
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) October 29, 2023
Adele dedicated her song “When We Were Young” to Perry at her Las Vegas residency show. “This is what I find so strange, I never met him in my life. There is something, you feel so sad about it especially because you don’t necessarily know what was going on.” The singer had recently announced that she has quit drinking alcohol. Speaking about Matthew’s battle with substance abuse she said, “He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave. I just wanna say how much I love what he did for us, especially what he did for me… and hopefully now he can rest in peace.”
Charlie Puth sang the Friends theme song “I’ll Be There for You” and “See You Again” in his Melbourne show as a tribute to the late actor.
Vir Das encapsulated the dual life Matthew Perry lived – one of the actor who dealt with the pressure to land a joke in front of a live studio audience night after night and his personal life where he fought many battles.
From Matthew’s Memoir
Matthew Perry had penned how he felt about his addiction struggles and how he wanted to continue helping others who were going through the same. He spoke about the efforts he took to do the same. Matthew wanted “Friends” to be the last thing people talked about when he passed away, hoping that they remember the things he did to help others. Charansh who runs the popular page “The Indian Idiot,” posted this beautiful excerpt from the late actor’s memoir on his Instagram, which weighs heavy on the heart.
Our beloved actor may have passed away alone but he has an army of fans who love him and his work. He will forever be etched in our hearts and memories. When asked how he’d like to be remembered, Matthew said: “As a guy who lived life, loved well, lived well and helped people. That running into me was a good thing, and not something bad.” We’re all a little teary-eyed after reading all the tributes on the Internet and watching re-runs of the most iconic show. It’s never going to be the same without you, Matthew Perry. Thank you for the laughs Mrs. Chanandler Bing 🙂
