How did Matthew Perry Die? FRIENDS Update

Matthew Perry, who famously portrayed Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom “Friends,” has passed away at the age of 54.

The news of his passing was confirmed by Capt. Scot Williams of the Robbery-Homicide division at the Los Angeles Police Department. While the exact cause of death remains uncertain and may take some time to determine, there is no evidence of foul play involved.

Mr. Perry was a familiar face to American TV viewers, appearing in more than 200 episodes across all ten seasons of “Friends,” the immensely popular NBC series that followed the lives of a group of friends navigating their way through young adulthood in New York City. In “Friends,” he shared the screen with acclaimed actors like Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow.

The studio responsible for “Friends,” Warner Bros. Television Group, released a statement on Saturday evening expressing their condolences. They described Mr. Perry as a talented actor whose comedic brilliance had a global reach, ensuring that his legacy would endure in the hearts of countless fans.

Today is an extremely sorrowful day.

Chandler Bing, the character portrayed by Mr. Perry, was a prosperous executive on the show, celebrated for his quick-witted and sardonic personality.

“Friends” has remained a cultural phenomenon for decades since its initial airing in 1994, capturing the hearts of new generations in recent years.

What happened to Matthew Perry?

Matthew Perry’s television career spanned nearly four decades, with his earliest credit dating back to 1979 when he made an appearance as a young child in an episode of the cop show “240-Robert,” as documented on IMDb.

Throughout the 2010s, he held notable roles in various television series. In the year 2011, he took on the role of Ben Donovan, the manager overseeing operations at the Sunshine Center, an arena catering to sports and entertainment in San Diego, as part of his performance in the ABC comedy series “Mr. Sunshine.” Within this character, he skillfully depicted a figure frequently marked by a somber disposition and self-centered tendencies while confronting the trials and tribulations that come with approaching the age of 40. Additionally, Mr. Perry took on the role of Oscar Madison in a remake of “The Odd Couple,” appearing alongside Thomas Lennon, who portrayed Felix Unger. This adaptation aired on CBS from 2015 to 2017.

Mr. Perry shared in an interview with The New York Times in 2002, “I was a guy who wanted to become famous. My desire for fame was so intense that I was practically steaming with ambition. I craved attention, wealth, and the privilege of having the finest seat in a restaurant. Unfortunately, I failed to consider the potential consequences of these desires. Nevertheless, Mr. Perry faced an enduring struggle with addiction and the related health challenges.

According to his own admission, he spent a significant portion of his life in rehabilitation centers and sober living environments.

In his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” released last year, he candidly detailed his decades-long struggle with substance abuse, including drinking and drug use.

His first encounter with rehab occurred in 1997, where news reports described it as treatment for an addiction to pain medication. In 2000, he was hospitalized for pancreatitis, a condition often linked to alcohol and drug misuse.

His ongoing battles with addiction resulted in a series of complications in 2018, including pneumonia, an afflicted colon, a brief period on life support, two weeks in a coma, nine months of reliance on a colostomy bag, and more than a dozen stomach surgeries.