Matthew Perry, the beloved actor who starred as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” has died. He was 54.
Police in Los Angeles are investigating Perry’s death, a law enforcement source told CNN. There is currently no foul play suspected, the source said, however, the incident remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division.
Perry died in an apparent drowning accident at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times, citing law enforcement sources.
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family,” Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement to CNN. “The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told CNN a 911 call came in at 4:07 p.m. for a water rescue emergency. Humphrey said it is unclear what body of water it was.
On “Friends,” Perry starred alongside Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow in the comedy about a tight knit group of friends living in New York City.
The group became fixtures of NBC’s unparalleled “Must-See TV” lineup, encountering a level of fame rarely seen in television or anywhere else.
Off screen, the actors became as close as their characters on the show, and famously negotiated together to become some of the highest paid actors on a television series at the time.
The show helped bolster Perry’s career and he soon landed roles on the big screen in 1997’s “Fools Rush In,” “Almost Heroes” in 1998 and “The Whole Nine Yards” in 2000.
While “Friends” was his best known TV series, Perry also starred in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Mr. Sunshine,”and “The Odd Couple.”
In November 2022, he published a memoir titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”
In it, Perry revealed that his opioid abuse led to a colon rupture when he was 49. Doctors gave him a two percent chance of survival, he wrote, and he was in a coma for two weeks followed by months more in the hospital.
The actor 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.
