Aimee Walker
Matthew Perry has died aged 54.
Perry was an American-Canadian actor best known for playing Chandler Bing in the hit TV sitcom Friends.
The comedy ran for 10 seasons and the actor starred in all 236 episodes, with his character becoming a fan favourite among viewers.
According to reports, law enforcement sources say that Perry was found dead on Saturday at his Los Angeles home.
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Warner Bros. has issued a statement on the beloved icon, saying: “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.
“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.”
The 17 Again star was allegedly found in a jacuzzi at his residence, and no drugs were found at the scene.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson tells People magazine that officers responded to a call at the actor’s address regarding the death of a male in his fifties.
However, they would not confirm the deceased’s identity.
TMZ also reports that no foul play was involved in the death, with its sources saying that first responders were called to the property for a cardiac arrest.
A police source reportedly says that the incident at the actor’s Pacific Palisades home was treated as a water rescue.
Perry’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
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Perry, who was mostly raised in Ottawa, Canada, starred in several other movies and TV shows apart from Friends, appearing in Fools Rush In, The Ron Clark Story and Scrubs.
He joined the cast of Friends at 24 years old.
Perry’s memoir ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir’ was released last year and it explored his battle with addiction and a near-death experience in 2019 after his colon burst as a result of opioid use.
The actor also opened up about the time his Friends co-star, Jennifer Aniston, confronted him about being inebriated while filming.
“I know you’re drinking,” Perry recalled her saying. “We can smell it.”
The star explained that Aniston said this in a ‘kind of weird but loving way’, adding: “The plural ‘we’ hit me like a sledgehammer.”
Thousands have taken to social media and paid tribute to Perry, including Maggie Wheeler – Chandler’s on and off again girlfriend Janice Litman-Goralnik.
Alongside a photo of the pair of them on the set of Friends, she penned: “What a loss. The world will miss you, Matthew 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.”
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was friends with Perry at school, wrote: “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. 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.”
During her Las Vegas show this weekend, Adele also paid tribute to the beloved actor on stage.
She said: “He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave. I just wanna say how much I love what he did for all of us.”
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