In devastating news, Friends star Matthew Perry died of an apparent drowning at 54 years old, according to TMZ reports.
Since the news made headlines on October 28, tributes have been pouring out in honour of the five-time Emmy-nominated actor, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing for ten seasons of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. “We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry's passing,” a statement posted to the official Friends Instagram account reads. "He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans."
His Friends co-stars are yet to comment on the tragic news but an old interview, in which Matthew reveals who was the most supportive co-star during his stint on the show, is going viral since the weekend.
In an interview with Diane Sawyer in October last year, Perry said: “Secrets kill you. Secrets kill people like me." According to Perry, he was at the height of his career on Friends at the same time, he was taking 55 Vicodin per day. “The time I should have been the toast of the town, I was in a dark room meeting with nothing but drug dealers and completely alone.”
During the clip, Perry confirmed that his Friends costar Jennifer Aniston confronted him about his alcoholism. "Jennifer, she says, 'We know you're drinking,'" Sawyer pressed, to which he responded, "Yeah, imagine how scary a moment that was." Perry continued, "She was the one that reached out the most. You know, I'm really grateful to her for that."
Matthew Perry had been doing the rounds to promote his upcoming memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In an interview with People, the actor revealed that his alcohol addiction was already starting when he joined the cast of Friends as Chandler Bing in 1994. He was 24 years old.
“I could handle it, kind of,” the actor said. “But by the time I was 34, I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble. But there were years that I was sober during that time. Season nine was the year that I was sober the whole way through. And guess which season I got nominated for best actor? I was like, ‘That should tell me something.’” Perry was nominated for an Emmy for best actor in a comedy series for his performance in season nine, which aired during the 2002–2003 season.
The actor also shared that he was in a coma for two weeks at 49 years old after his colon burst from opioid overuse. “The doctors told my family that I had a 2% chance to live,” he said. That was just four years ago.
When it comes to addiction, Perry told People, “your sober date changes, but that's all that changes…. You know everything you knew before, as long as you were able to fight your way back without dying, you learn a lot.”
RIP, Matthew Perry.
This story was originally published by GLAMOUR (US).
If you or anyone you know is suffering from drug addiction, head to Narcotics Anonymous UK for more information on what help is available https://ukna.org. For more honest help and advice about drugs and drug addiction, head to https://www.talktofrank.com. For more up-to-date information on drugs and alcohol, see www.drugwise.org.uk
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