‘He will be missed by many’: Selma Blair, Shannen Doherty and Janice actor from Friends lead heartfelt celebrity tributes to beloved Friends star Matthew Perry as he dies at age 54 – due to an apparent drowning accident

BREAKING: Friends star Matthew Perry ‘has died aged 54 in accidental drowning’

Selma Blair, Olivia Munn, Mira Sorvino and Rumer Willis flocked to mourn the devastating death of Matthew Perry following the news of his passing, at 54, after an apparent drowning accident at his home.

Upon hearing the news, the Cruel Intentions actress, 51, shared a sweet selfie with her ‘oldest boy friend’ as she told her followers that she ‘loved him unconditionally’ and was ‘broken’ over his passing.

‘Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams,’ she captioned the image, which showed her leaning her head on his shoulder as they both smiled at the camera.

Sorvino also expressed her distress online as she tweeted: ‘Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!’

The pair previously starred in the 1994 TV movie Parallel Lives together.

Meanwhile, the X-Men: Apocalypse actress, 43, shared an image of the late actor to her Instagram Story with a red broken heart emoji, and the words: ‘Oh no.’

‘He struggled so much with addiction and was brave enough to be open and honest about it. I’m so sorry to his family and friends who are getting this news today. Nothing short of heartbreaking. Rest in love, Matthew Perry,’ she continued in a second post.

Tragic: Selma Blair, Olivia Munn and Rumer Willis flocked to mourn the devastating death of Matthew Perry following the news of his passing, at 54, after an apparent drowning accident at his home

Grieving: Upon hearing the news, the X-Men: Apocalypse actress, 43, shared an image of the late actor to her Instagram Story with a red broken heart emoji, and the words: ‘Oh no’

Shannen Doherty recalled some of her fondest memories with Perry, including daring him to say ‘ridiculous things to girls at the bar’ and how they always ‘supported each other.’

‘You would always find us all together in a booth speaking in our own made up language. And yes, Matt always had THAT sense of humor,’ she told her fans. ‘Our friendship spanned a long time. A lifetime really. I know many are hurting, especially our little gang. He will be missed by many and definitely by us. Yes. I could be more poetic or say things better but right now, shock and sadness prevail.’

The Beverly Hills 90210 alum also remembered how he took her out on a date one year on Valentine’s Day, but couldn’t get a reservation at a restaurant in Malibu, so he got her dad to make it.

‘We went and he talked about my dads Irish persuasiveness the majority of the night,’ she mused.

Maggie Wheeler, who played his longtime on-screen girlfriend Janice Litman-Goralnik on Friends, reacted to the news on Instagram by writing: ‘What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on.’

‘I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared,’ she concluded.

Paget Brewster, who played his love interest Kathy on season four of Friends, tweeted that she was ‘so very sad to hear about’ Perry’s death.

‘He was lovely to me on Friends and every time I saw him in the decades after. Please read his book. It was his legacy to help. He won’t rest in peace though.. He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there,’ she wrote.

‘Rest in peace Matthew Perry,’ Bethenny Frankel wrote on her Instagram Story. ‘Thank you so much for the laughter and joy you brought to our lives. Love to your family and friends.’

Meredith Salenger, who appeared in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon with Perry, wrote that she and the actor knew each other since they were teens.

Heartfelt: Maggie Wheeler, who played his longtime on-screen girlfriend Janice Litman-Goralnik on Friends, reacted to the news on Instagram by writing: ‘What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on’

Close friends: Shannen Doherty recalled some of her fondest memories with Perry, including daring him to say ‘ridiculous things to girls at the bar’ and how they always ‘supported each other’

Former costar: Sorvino also expressed her distress online as she tweeted: ‘Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!!’

‘Thank you for the laughs Matt Perry,’ Kaley Cuoco wrote on Instagram. ‘You were a joy to watch for so many years and a constant lesson in comedic timing. We loved you!! So sad to hear this’

Sad: Octavia Spencer took to Instagram to write: ‘I’m incredibly saddened to hear of Matthew Perry’s passing today. His gift to the world will be remembered forever. Sending love to Matthew’s family, friends, co-stars and millions of fans around the world’

Touching: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to his former classmate as he tweeted: ‘I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them…Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved — and you will be missed’

‘Oh man. No words. Rest in peace sweet @MatthewPerry,’ she wrote, alongside four photos of them together.

Willis revealed she was ‘so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing’ before recounting how when she ‘was a kid’ on set with her father, Bruce Willis, on set of their 2000 film, The Whole Nine Yards, that the performer was ‘so kind and funny and sweet.’

‘His physical comedy and that movie still makes me laugh so much,’ she remembered. ‘I know he had many challenges in his life and brought a lot of joy to people with his comedy. I hope he can rest peacefully.’

Josh Brolin reacted to the news by writing to his Instagram followers that he was ‘absolutely heartbroken.’

Stuart Levine, vice president of editorial and media relations at NBCUniversal, recalled a time Perry invited him to his home to watch the LA Kings win the Stanley Cup.

‘He couldn’t have been nicer. A truly deep loss,’ Levine tweeted.

‘This is devastating. Your book shifted so many close to my heart. The people no one sees and most throwaway. It was a gift. Beyond the joy you brought to many, your heart reigned supreme. Rest well…..know that you brought love,’Academy-Award winning actress Viola Davis wrote on Instagram

‘Rest in peace Matthew Perry,’ Bethenny Frankel wrote on her Instagram Story. ‘Thank you so much for the laughter and joy you brought to our lives. Love to your family and friends’

Upsetting: Paget Brewster, who played his love interest Kathy on season four of Friends, tweeted that she was ‘so very sad to hear about’ Perry’s death

Meredith Salenger, who appeared in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon with Perry, wrote that she and the actor knew each other since they were teens

‘I’m so sad to hear about Matthew Perry passing. When I was a kid and I was on set while he and my dad were doing The Whole Nine Yards, he was so kind and funny and sweet with my sisters and me,’ Rumer Willis wrote on Instagram

Grieving: Josh Brolin captioned a photo of Perry: ‘The struggle is real’

‘Very sad about Matthew Perry. He was so much fun to work with; and yet so serious about his craft,’ tweeted Robert King, who co-created The Good Fight.

X, formerly known as Twitter, was flooded with tributes commemorating his legacy as an actor and for portraying his beloved character, Chandler Bing, on the hit NBC series for 10 seasons, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

One fan of his popular sitcom, which aired between 1994 to 2004, penned on social media that they were ‘absolutely heartbroken by the loss of Matthew Perry.’

‘Friends was a huge part of my life and how I live day by day and Chandler taught me many lessons in life! This news is so hard to take! RIP Matthew Perry RIP Chandler Bing!’ they continued.

Another wrote: ‘Matthew Perry gave the world one of the best comedic performances and comfort characters in television, he was not a character but I hope he knows he made an impact on a lot of people.’

On Saturday, TMZ reported that law enforcement sources told the outlet Perry was found on Saturday at a home in Los Angeles after first responders were called to the scene for a cardiac arrest.

Sources claim he was found in a jacuzzi at the home, but no drugs were found at the scene, and there was no indication of foul play.

‘Very sad about Matthew Perry. He was so much fun to work with; and yet so serious about his craft,’ tweeted Robert King, who co-created The Good Fight

‘The Friends star was a great actor, but by his own admission, a very tormented guy. His recent autobiography about his addiction-ravaged life was one of the most powerful, honest and revealing I’ve ever read. Such sad news,’ Piers Morgan tweeted

‘Too hard,’ Rosie O’Donnell wrote on those news, alongside the hashtag #RIPMATTY

RIP: Delilah Hamlin shared a photo of Perry in character as Chandler with the caption: ‘Rest in peace

Memories: Stuart Levine, vice president of editorial and media relations at NBCUniversal, recalled a time Perry invited him to his home to watch the LA Kings win the Stanley Cup

The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities responded to his home around 4pm where he was discovered unresponsive.

A source told the outlet that there was so sign of foul play, and that robbery-homicide detectives are investigating his death.

In his last post to his Instagram, shared earlier this week, the star shared images of him in his pool, saying: ‘Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.’

Perry has been candid publicly about his problems with drugs and alcohol, having first went to rehab in 1997 for what was said to a pain medication addiction after a jet skiing accident.

Following this initial stint, he then went to rehab again in 2001 and 2011. He told an interviewer in 2016 that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.

A longtime friend of Perry’s – who was in recovery with him – told DailyMail.com: ‘Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news.

‘It’s no secret that he struggled with drugs and alcohol for years but the last time I spoke to him, which was within the last few weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.

‘He was upbeat and sounded sober and positive.

‘He’d been to rehab 17 times and nearly died from opioid abuse but he was someone who was sincere about taking his life, and his sobriety, one day at a time.

‘It’s such tragic news. Everyone is praying he didn’t relapse. Matt was a genuinely lovely guy. He was always the first to welcome newcomers to the group and would always volunteer to help and be of service.

‘We are all struggling to come to terms with this terrible news.’

The Friends star laid bare the height of his terrible drug and alcohol addiction battle which nearly cost him his life in a memoir titled ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.’

X, formerly known as Twitter , was flooded with tributes commemorating his legacy as an actor and for portraying his beloved character, Chandler Bing, on the hit NBC series for 10 seasons, alongside Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer

‘Matthew Perry gave the world one of the best comedic performances and comfort characters in television, he was not a character but I hope he knows he made an impact on a lot of people,’ one fan tweeted

One fan of his popular sitcom, which aired between 1994 to 2004, penned on social media that they were ‘absolutely heartbroken by the loss of Matthew Perry’

‘Friends was a huge part of my life and how I live day by day and Chandler taught me many lessons in life! This news is so hard to take! RIP Matthew Perry RIP Chandler Bing!’ they continued

‘Matthew Perry was my childhood,’ another wrote. ‘Hearing this is insane and heartbreaking’

Perry also revealed that his colon ruptured as a result of his opioid addiction when he was 49.

Doctors gave him only a two percent chance of survival and he was in a coma for two weeks followed by months more in the hospital.

Perry required 14 surgeries to help repair all of the abdominal damage, and he admitted to having gone to rehab 15 times over the years in hopes of kicking his drug addiction.

At one point during his Friends career, he admits he was taking 55 Vicodin a day and was down to 128 pounds but yet he ‘didn’t know how to stop.’

He told an interviewer in 2016 that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.

‘I had this odd rule that I would never drink on a set,’ Perry said. ‘But I went to work in extreme cases of hangover. It’s so horrible to feel that way and have to work and be funny on top of that.’

He even revealed he would go to real estate open houses – not because he was interested in buying property but to see if he could steal drugs from medicine cabinets.

Born on August 19, 1969 in Massachusetts, Perry grew up in Ottawa and was raised by his mother, Suzanne Morrison, a Canadian writer and former press aide for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Morrison and Perry’s father were married from 1968 to 1970 and she later married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison, who has been on Dateline for decades, in 1981.

Huge loss: On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported that authorities responded to his home around 4pm where he was discovered unresponsive

Perry was best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, alongside Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , Lisa Kudrow , Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer

In Canada, Perry was a top-rated tennis player but at 15 moved to Los Angeles to be closer to his father, John Bennett Perry, an actor known for several shows, including Falcon Crest, and later on Old Spice commercials.

In the 1980s and ’90s, Perry landed spots on the decades’ most popular TV shows like Charles in Charge, Who’s The Boss?, Growing Pains and Beverly Hills, 90210.

He also had a role in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, a movie released in 1988 that starred River Phoenix.

The film was ‘one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, because I was 16 years old and in Chicago all by myself, no parents around,’ Perry told BuzzFeed. ‘I knew that I wanted to act.’

He told The New York Times in 2002 that he sought fame. ‘There was steam coming out of my ears, I wanted to be famous so badly.

The Friends star laid bare the height of his terrible drug and alcohol addiction battle which nearly cost him his life in a memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, which was released last year

‘You want the attention, you want the bucks, and you want the best seat in the restaurant. I didn’t think what the repercussions would be.’

Perry’s dream of widespread recognition came true with the NBC sitcom Friends, which followed the lives of six people trying to make their way in their twenties in New York City.

Audiences adored the show during its ten-season run and continue to do so today despite the show ending over 15 years ago.

During Friends, Perry also starred in movies like Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards.

After the series, he was in several television shows but did not achieve the longevity and success of Friends. He continued to land roles in movies like 2009’s 17 Again.

Perry never married and ended his engagement to Molly Hurwitz, a talent manager, in 2021.

He dated several well-known actresses including Julia Roberts and Lizzy Caplan.

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