Matthew Perry, best known for his popular role as Chandler Bing in the hit American sitcom Friends, has died at the age of 54.
The multi-Emmy nominee was found dead at his home in Los Angeles having apparently drowned with law enforcement sources confirming the tragic news.
Born in Massachusetts in 1969, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school with Justin Trudeau, who later became Canadian Prime Minister. During his early years, his father also helped him land a small role in an episode of the drama series 240-Robert (1979); he was just nine years old.
After moving to Los Angeles, Perry pursued improvisational comedy at the LA Connection in Sherman Oaks while still in high school. Upon graduating, he then returned to acting with guest appearances in Charles in Charge (1985), Silver Spoons (1986) and The Tracey Ullman Show (1987).
That was swiftly followed by a recurring role as Chazz Russell in the sci-fi drama series Second Chance which ran for over twenty episodes between 1987 and 1988. During that period, Perry also made his film debut in the coming-of-age drama A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988) and followed that up with She’s Out of Control (1989).
Over the next few years, he started to move around the television circuit with guest appearances in Highway to Heaven (1988), Empty Nest (1989), Growing Pains (1989), Who’s the Boss? (1990), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1991) and Dream On (1991) while landing himself recurring roles in Sydney (1990) and Home Free (1993).
However, 1994 would prove to be a life-changing year for Perry as he was cast as the sarcastic yet lovable Chandler Bing in the U.S. sitcom Friends. The series, which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating dating, careers and friendship, was a massive hit with critics and audiences and went on to run for ten series between 1994 and 2004.
During his time on the sitcom, Perry scored his first Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category for his performance in 2002. Many would agree that he probably deserved more recognition for playing such an iconic character!
While working on Friends, he managed to work on other projects that included comedic film roles in the likes of Getting In (1994), Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998) and Three to Tango (1999).
However, his most successful role on the big-screen came in 2000 when he played mild-mannered dentist Oz Oseransky opposite Bruce Willis in the comedy caper The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box-office hit and later led to a sequel entitled The Whole Ten Yards (2004).
Having appearing in the romantic comedy Serving Sara (2002) and two episodes of Ally McBeal (2002), Perry then enjoyed a three-episode arc as Associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy in the acclaimed political series The West Wing (2003). He earned a further two Emmy nominations for his guest appearances on the show.
After a guest role as Murray Marks in an episode of Scrubs (2004), Perry then scored a fourth Emmy mention and a sole Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Ron Clark, the real-life teacher in the fact-based television film The Ron Clark Story (2006).
That was then followed by a recurring appearance as Matt Albie in the Hollywood-based drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which ran for over twenty episodes between 2006 and 2007.
Despite some moderate success on the big-screen, Perry’s last film role came as the adult version of Zac Efron’s character Mike in the fantasy comedy 17 Again (2009). However, he continued to make his presence felt on television with leading roles as Ben Donovan in Mr. Sunshine (2011) and Ryan King in Go On (2012-13) as well as reuniting with former Friends co-star (and on-screen lover) Courtney Cox in an episode of Cougar Town (2014).
In his later years, Perry popped up as lawyer Mike Kresteva in multiple episodes of both The Good Wife (2012-13), and its spin-off The Good Fight (2017) while also playing Ted Kennedy in the political mini-series The Kennedys (2017). He also starred in, co-wrote, and served as executive producer of a revival of the sitcom The Odd Couple (2015-17) in which played the character of Oscar Madison.
Prior to his death, Perry opened up about his past addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol particularly in his recent memoir Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
Perry’s last major appearance on-screen came in 2021 when he and his fellow Friends co-stars appeared in a reunion special that saw them all reflect on the show’s remarkable legacy.
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