Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1969, and passing away in Los Angeles, California, on October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry was an American-Canadian comedic actor best known for playing the witty Chandler Bing on the wildly successful sitcom Friends (1994–2004).
Growing up in Ottawa, Perry competed in junior tennis at a high level and aspired to play professional sports. But when he moved to live with his father in Los Angeles when he was fifteen, that’s when he developed an interest in acting. He attended the comedy theater LA Connection and took improv classes while he was a student at Buckley School.
Perry debuted on television in 1979 in an episode of the police drama 240-Robert, which starred his father. Perry played bit parts in television series like Silver Spoons, Charles in Charge, and The Tracey Ullman Show in the middle of the 1980s.
Perry graduated from Buckley in 1987, and that year he appeared in his first starring role, in the sitcom Second Chance (later renamed Boys Will Be Boys), which ran for one season. In 1988 Perry made his big-screen debut in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, a coming-of-age film that starred River Phoenix.
The following year Perry had a memorable role on the hit sitcom Growing Pains, playing the boyfriend of Carol Seaver (Tracey Gold), who dies in a drunk-driving accident. Perry later was a series regular on the short-lived Sydney (1990), cast as a rookie cop whose sister (Valerie Bertinelli) is a private detective. He then had guest appearances on Who’s the Boss and Beverly Hills, 90210 before starring in the family comedy Home Free (1993), another series that was quickly canceled.
Matthew Perry Cause Of Death: What Killed Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry died from “the acute effects of ketamine,” according to the toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. The exact method of intake is unknown. Contributing factors in the “Friends” actor’s death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death was ruled an accident.
Perry had been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy prior to his death, reportedly for depression and anxiety. The toxicology report adds: “At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.”
Perry died on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. Authorities arrived at his home in Los Angeles around 4 p.m. and found him in a hot tub, according to the Los Angeles Times. There were no signs of foul play or drugs at the scene. First responders were called for a cardiac arrest, according to TMZ, which first reported the news.
Perry was best known for playing the hilarious, sarcastic Chandler Bing on “Friends” in the ’90s and early 2000s. He starred in more than 200 episodes of the NBC sitcom across 10 seasons.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss,” Perry’s “Friends” cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer wrote in a statement following the news of his death. “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Perry’s “Friends” co-stars would each go on to share personal tributes to the actor, with Aniston exclusively telling Variety that she texted with him on the day of his death.
“He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy — that’s all I know,” Aniston said. “I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.”
Courteney Cox personally remembered Perry by sharing to Instagram a blooper video of the two actors from the “Friends” set.
“I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote. “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now here’s one of my favorites.”
