Fans and friends of American-Canadian actor Matthew Perry have shared their 'shock and sadness' following the announcement of his death at the weekend. Best known as a comedic actor for his role in one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, the star has been described as a brilliant talent with a kind heart by those who knew him.
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00:00 That was my bathing suit from high school. I was a little bigger then.
00:06 Oh, I thought that's what they used to cover Connecticut when it rained.
00:10 On the 19th of August 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts in the USA, Matthew Langford
00:16 Perry was born. He'd grow up to be one of the most recognisable faces on TV across the
00:21 world in his work as an actor and was much loved by millions across the globe.
00:26 On the 28th of October 2023, the star was found dead at his home in Los Angeles at the
00:31 age of just 54. Authorities responded to a 911 call at around 4pm and found Perry dead
00:38 in a hot tub at an LA property. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because
00:43 the investigation was ongoing, did not cite a cause of death. No drugs were found at the
00:48 scene but prescription medication was uncovered at the house, hence a toxicology report will
00:53 be part of the post-mortem. Initial reports suggest that this has been inconclusive thus
00:58 far. After the news of his death broke, his family released an official statement saying
01:04 Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and as a friend. You all
01:09 meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.
01:13 What's wrong buddy? Someone at work ate my sandwich.
01:18 Well what did the police say?
01:22 Probably best known for his role as the wisecracking comedic genius character Chandler Bing from
01:27 hit sitcom Friends, Perry was brilliant at what he does with much of the world agreeing
01:32 that the role wouldn't have been the same without him. Starring in the entire 10 season
01:37 run of the show's 10 year tenure on air, he was one of the 90s most recognised faces worldwide
01:43 and even had his own catchphrase.
01:45 Could we be more white trash?
01:47 Please could she be more out of my league?
01:49 Could I be more sorry?
01:53 The star was open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol abuse in years gone by during
01:58 his life. Superstar singer Adele paid tribute to Matthew on stage, thanking him for being
02:03 up front about the horrors of addiction. He spoke about it in his book Friends, Lovers
02:08 and the Big Terrible Thing, released almost exactly a year ago now and was widely praised
02:13 for his feature about drug courts on BBC's Newsnight as a fierce advocate for speaking
02:18 about his own substance abuse experiences.
02:21 It's an obsession of your mind and an allergy of your body. So this is what happens to me.
02:25 I start thinking about alcohol, I can't stop. I can't stop thinking about it.
02:29 Across Hollywood, both fans and friends of the late actor shared their own tributes.
02:34 Co-creators of Friends, Marta Kaufman and David Crane and its executive producer Kevin
02:39 Bright said they were shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by the news. They said from
02:44 the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.
02:49 Describing him as always the funniest person in the room, they also said he was the sweetest,
02:54 with a giving, selfless heart. We send all our love to his family and friends.
02:58 This truly is the one where our hearts are broken.
03:01 Okay.
03:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]