LOS ANGELES – Matthew Perry, famous for his comedic acting work on the hit television show “Friends,” died today in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, according to reports. He was 54.
TMZ reported that first-responders arrived at the scene on Saturday on
a call regarding a cardiac arrest, and apparently might have drowned.
Citing sources, the website said that there were no drugs located at the scene and no evidence of foul play.
Perry’s cause of death was not immediately known.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the home where Perry was found was his own.
Perry had publicly announced that he had been clean and sober for about a year, but had previously battled substance abuse for years. He became addicted to Vicodin during his time on “Friends” — and had done multiple stints in rehab, including during filming of the show.
Perry was most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the 1990s hit sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons. He also appeared in other hit shows including
“The West Wing,” “Ally McBeal,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Growing
Pains,” “Scrubs,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Silver Spoons,”
“Growing Pains,” “Charles in Charge” and more. He also performed in movies,
including “Fools Rush In,” “The Whole Nine Yards” and “Three to Tango,” among others.
In 2022, he published a memoir detailing his troubles with drugs and
alcohol, his issues with weight gain and loss, and other facets of his at-times
tumultuous lifestyle, including a harrowing account of an emergency surgery following a gastrointestinal perforation, which nearly took his life. He never married, but was once engaged.
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