The life and times of Matthew Perry

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This past Saturday, Matthew Perry tragically passed away at 54 years old. He’s believed to have drowned in his hot tub.

You never really know how death is going to affect you until it happens. This one feels like a punch to the gut. I didn’t realize how influential he was to my childhood until now, and I can’t be the only one who feels this way.

The Actor was best remembered for his role as Chandler Bing in the mega-hit sitcom Friends. He also produced and starred in several other TV shows and films.

Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts on August 19, 1969, Perry was a bit of a troubled youth. His parents separated when he was one year old. His mother raised him in Ottawa, Ontario. She was the press secretary to then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Matthew went to school with our current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. When they were in grade five, Matthew and his friend beat up Justin. Small world! The two eventually worked out their differences and appeared to be friendly later in life.

As a youth, he stole, smoked, and drank a lot. He claimed he was drinking every day by 18 years old. Addiction would go on to haunt him for much of his life.

He started acting at 15 when he moved to Los Angeles with his father. It didn’t take him long to find success. He landed guest appearances in Not Necessarily the News, Charles in Charge, and Silver Spoons. This led to some recurring roles in Second Chance, Growing Pains, Sydney, Home Free, and Beverly Hills, 90210.

His big breakthrough came in 1994 when he was cast as Chandler Bing in what would become one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, Friends. Its series finale in 2004 was watched by 52.5 million viewers.

Growing up, I watched this show a lot. I’ve seen every episode multiple times.

This started at a very young age. Probably around 5-6 years old. That’s a formative time in a child’s life. Kids tend to pick up traits from the media they consume, and it becomes a part of their identity, intentional or not. If you think about it, you’ll likely see how the shows you watched growing up affected your development. This is why we have Parental Control settings.

Friends was harmless though, and many of the more mature jokes probably went over my head. What didn’t go over my head though was Chandler’s sarcasm and dad jokes. I thought they were hilarious! As I got older, I adopted that same sense of humor, which remains to this day. This happened to my brother too, and we both watched Friends and loved Chandler. We would fight constantly, but watching Friends was one of the few things we could do together that wouldn’t end in a fight.

It’s such a funny, quotable show. If you’ve never watched it, you should check it out. It’s a classic! Each character is funny in their own way, but Chandler always made me laugh the most. His comedic timing and delivery were unmatched. Are you with me, or do you have a different favorite character?

Everyone always talks about the Ross and Rachel relationship, but I think Chandler and Monica took the cake for the best relationship. “He’s her lobster!”

If you’ve never seen Friends or just want to relive some classic moments, here are a few of Chandler’s best episodes:

  • The one where Heckles dies.
  • The one where Chandler can’t remember which sister.
  • The one with the embryos.
  • The one where everyone finds out.
  • The one with the proposal.
  • The one where Chandler can’t cry.
  • The one with the Halloween party.

The show grew in popularity, and by 2002 the cast was making $1 Million per episode. Considering there’s 20 plus episodes per season, that’s a whole lot of cake. His success led to film roles in Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, Three to Tango, Serving Sara, The Whole Nine Yards, and The Whole Ten Yards.

After Friends came to an end in 2004, he slowed down. He would appear in the odd movie or TV show, but for the most part, stayed out of the spotlight.

Perry’s substance abuse issues became a serious problem over the ten-year lifespan of Friends. After a jet-ski accident in 1997, he became addicted to Vicodin. At one point, he was 128 pounds and taking up to 55 pills every day. He would frequently show up on set drunk, high, or hungover. His co-stars staged an intervention and even halted filming so he could go to rehab, but his problems persisted. He’s said that he remembers nothing from a three-year stretch during filming.

It seemed no matter how hard he tried to get clean, he just couldn’t fight off his demons. His drug and alcohol issues led to many health problems. The biggest scare came in 2018 when he spent five months in the hospital for a gastrointestinal perforation. Doctors told him he had a 2% chance of survival, but Perry was a fighter and survived.

People who suffer from addiction shouldn’t be shamed and judged; they should be helped. Can you imagine how difficult it would be for your problems to be so public?

Throughout these struggles, Perry used his struggles to help others suffering from addiction. In 2011, he lobbied US Congress in support of funding for Drug Courts, which are programs designed to scrap incarceration for a rehabilitation program to help people recover.

He also opened Perry House, a rehab center in his former mansion, and was awarded a Champion of Recovery Award by the White House in 2013. He gave back in the hopes that others wouldn’t endure what he did. That’s a hero in my book.

Speaking of books, Perry released Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing in 2022. His autobiography looks like a great read. The opening line of the book states “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

Those are haunting words.

Friends: The Reunion was released in 2021. The six co-stars were back together one final time. The original sets were rebuilt, they re-enacted several classic scenes and were joined by many guest stars and celebrities. This would end up being Perry’s final on-screen appearance before he passed away.

His five co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc released a joint statement in the wake of his shocking death.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. 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. In time we will say more, 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.”

Through all the ups and downs of his life, Matthew Perry was a cultural icon who brought smiles to millions of people, and as younger generations discover Friends, will continue to do so for years to come.

Even though he may no longer be with us anymore, Perry’s legacy will live on in the laughter, the moments, and the memories.

Rest in peace.

 

 

 

 

 

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