'Friends' star Matthew Perry dies at 54
The actor reportedly drowned in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home
"Friends" star and 1990s icon Matthew Perry died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, law enforcement sources said. He was 54.
Sources from the Los Angeles Police Department told TMZ, which first reported the news, that emergency responders showed up at Perry's home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood around 4 p.m. local time. Perry was discovered unresponsive, with TMZ reporting that the actor drowned in his hot tub. While this has not been confirmed by the LAPD, department sources told the Los Angeles Times that no foul play was suspected.
A native of Williamstown, Massachusetts, Perry appeared on the short-lived CBS show "Sydney" in 1990. He received his big break in 1994 when he landed his career-defining role as Chandler Bing in NBC's sitcom "Friends." Perry's role as Chandler — as well as the show itself — would go on to help define the modern era of television. "Friends" remains one of the most beloved TV shows of all time.
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Perry also became known for his battles with drug and alcohol addiction. He was in and out of rehab centers a number of times throughout the early 2000s, and he later lobbied Congress for drug law reforms. He also helped open Perry House, a rehab center in Malibu, California.
Tributes poured in from across Hollywood following news of Perry's death. "All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially ... and I’m broken," actress Selma Blair wrote on Instagram. Actor Tom Green wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was "shocked and saddened" to hear of Perry's death. And actress Mira Sorvino called Perry a "sweet, troubled soul," adding, "May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!"
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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
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