Matthew Perry’s extraordinary life in pictures following his death at 54: From iconic Friends star to best-selling author that bravely chronicled his decades-long sobriety journey
- READ MORE: Friends star Matthew Perry ‘has died aged 54 in accidental jacuzzi drowning at LA-area home’ – as heartbroken friends say they are ‘in shock’
Beloved Friends star, Matthew Perry, died at the age of 54 on Saturday.
The actor’s passing has left fans and his pals stunned as it comes after he recently published his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, telling how he had overcame his struggles with drugs and alcohol that almost left him dead.
Matthew, who found fame playing Chandler Bing on Friends, is thought to have drowned in a jacuzzi, while one of his close pals exclusively told DailyMail.com that his inner circle is currently in a state of ‘total shock.’
Sources told DailyMail.com he reportedly played a two-hour game of Pickleball and medics were called to his home to respond to an apparent heart attack incident.
The Screen Actors Guild Award winner, who became a household name after landing the part of Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends, was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1969.
TV legend: The Screen Actors Guild Award winner, who became a household name after landing the part of Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends, was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1969 (pictured in 1994)
His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, worked as a Canadian journalist who previously served as press secretary to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and father, John Bennett Perry, split before his first birthday
An athlete: His mother went on to marry broadcast journalist Keith Morrison, and he was raised primarily in Ottawa, Ontario, apart from brief stints in Toronto and Montreal
Smart: Perry went to Rockcliffe Park Public School, alongside future Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before heading to Ashbury College
Impressive: In addition to dominating the creative arts, the best-selling author was a was a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada and practiced up to 10 hours a day, according to Tennis Canada (seen in
Born for showbusiness: Perry (R) seen during his sophomore in high school as he attended Buckley School in Sherman Oaks (seen in 1985)
Handsome: The performer (seen above during his senior year of high school in 1987) was destined for Hollywood with his good lucks and natural charisma
Before Friends: Perry portrayed Carol Seaver’s boyfriend Sandy who dies in the hospital after a drunk-driving crash (pictured in 1989)
Role-of-a-lifetime: Matthew Perry (seen far right) famously portrayed the role of Chandler Bing between 1994 to 2004
Fast friends: Perry and his costar, Jennifer Aniston, became close while starring on Friends (pictured in 1995); and he credited her over the years for being ‘the one that reached out the most’ amid his addiction struggles and sobriety journey
Past love: He briefly dated actress, Julia Roberts, after she signed up to guest star on the sitcom Friends in the mid-1990s; they ultimately split after two months of dating (seen in 1996)
Winner: Perry seen after accepting his first Screen Actors Guild Awards in 1996
Smash hit: In 1999, the Friends cast was on top of the world as they promoted their sixth season
On the big screen: In 2000, he starred in The Whole Nine Yards, which led to him snagging parts in films like Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, The Ron Clark Story, and 17 Again
Power couple: His character, Chandler Bing and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) famously wed in 2001 on the finale of season seven of their hit sitcom Friends
In addition to starring on comedies, he appeared on dramas, like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (seen above in character as Matthew Albie)
Stardom: He earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for his starring role on Friends and also earned an Emmy nominated in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for portraying Chandler Bing; seen in 2001
Sporty: Perry pictured above competed in the Merv Griffin Beverly Hills Country Club Celebrity Tennis Classic in 2003
Multi-talented: Perry made his directorial debut in a 2004 episode of Scrubs (seen with John Bennett Perry as Gregory Marks)
Perry and his Friends costar, Matt LeBlanc, once played in a celebrity hockey together
Box office hit: His 2009 film, 17 Again, alongside Zac Efron and Leslie Mann was a box office hit as it earned $139.4 million globally against a $40 million production budget
An icon: The 17 Again star seen speaking onstage during the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012
Go Dodgers! In 2013, Perry threw the first pitch at a Dodgers vs. Padres game
Perry promoted his TV series, Go On, during a 2013 during an interview with host Jay Leno
Doing good: Perry testified before a House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies hearing in the Capitol on the need to fund Drug Courts
The reunion: The cast of Friends reunited on camera for the first time in 25 years in 2021 for a special, called The One Where They Get Back Together, hosted by James Corden
Raw and honest: Perry did not hold back as he detailed his lifelong battle with addiction in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Best-selling author: The star (seen on April 22, 2023 as he promoted his memoir at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books) shared his story of sobriety, fame and downward spiral of addiction
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