On Sunday, actor Matthew Perry was found dead at the age of 54 years-old. According to the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division, they are investigating the death. Law enforcement sources told CNN that no foul play is suspected.
Perry’s family released a statement to People magazine saying that they were “heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother.”
“Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend,” the statement said. “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
The 911 call came in Saturday at 4:07 p.m. for a water rescue emergency. LAPD responded at 4:10 p.m. and characterized the call as a death investigation shortly after. The “Friends” star was found unresponsive in his hot tub, according to the Los Angeles Times, citing law enforcement sources.
Best known for portraying Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, Perry began his career in “Boys Will Be Boys.” He earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for the role of Chandler.
He went onto star in films including “The Whole Nine Years,” “Fools Rush In” with Salma Hayek, “She’s Out of Control,” “Three to Tango,” “17 Again” and more.
Perry was co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star of the ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine, which ran from February to April 2011. In August 2012, he starred in “Go On.” Perry co-developed and starred in a revival of the CBS sitcom “The Odd Couple.” He also appeared in”The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight.” He portrayed “Ted Kennedy in The Kennedys: After Camelot” and appeared as himself in “Friends: The Reunion” in 2021.
Having overcome an alcohol and Vicodin addiction, Perry Perry lobbied the US Congress as a celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in support of funding for drug courts.
He received a Champion of Recovery award in May 2013 from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for opening Perry House, a rehab center in his former mansion in Malibu, California.
