9 Things You Didn’t Know About Late 'Friends' Actor Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry, the actor best known as Chandler from the ‘90s sitcom Friends, passed away yesterday in Los Angeles. While the authorities do not suspect foul play at the moment, the cause of Matthew’s death is still unconfirmed. The 54-year-old actor was found in a jacuzzi, where he was suspected to have drowned to death, though investigations are currently still underway. 

But the legacy of the actor lives on. As the sweater vest-donning Chandler from Friends, his dry wit and comedic finesse made him a character you grew to love over time, winning you over with his endearing, albeit self-deprecating, jokes. One of the most popular sitcoms of the ‘90s and early 2000s, the role was career-defining for Matthew, to say the least. But Matthew’s life went beyond his time as Joey’s roommate or Monica’s love interest. Here are 9 facts you didn’t know about the late actor.

Born to American actor John Bennett Perry and Canadian Suzanne Perry, Matthew was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1969 and was eventually brought to Ottawa, Canada where he grew up. His parents split up about a year after their son was born, and both parents eventually remarried. Matthew spent the bulk of his childhood in Ottowa, Ontario with his mother before moving to California during his teen years with his father.

Matthew’s mother, Suzanne Perry, was a journalist who worked as the Press Secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. As he was growing up, Matthew also crossed paths with Pierre Trudeau’s son, Justin Trudeau, Canada’s current Prime Minister. The boys attended the same elementary school and were friends. But by the time Matthew turned 10, he started to misbehave – smoking, stealing money and even bumping heads against Justin Trudeau with another classmate. 

In spite of his unhealthy lifestyle at that time, Matthew was a star tennis player throughout his formative years. He practised his tennis daily, sometimes up to 10 hours a day. While in Canada, he was on track as a junior tennis player and had the potential to consider a professional tennis career but realised that competition within America for the sport was tougher.

After moving to California with his father at 15, Matthew stopped playing tennis and instead studied acting at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, following in the footsteps of his father, an actor and former model. In high school, Matthew also attended some improvisation classes in Los Angeles. Matthew successfully landed a few small roles as a child actor after arriving in Hollywood, beginning in 1979 with 240-Robert. He eventually got parts in TV shows such as Boys Will be Boys, Sydney and Home Free.

Matthew initially was cast for the pilot episode of a series titled LAX 2194, so he was unavailable to take on the pilot for Six of One, which eventually became Friends. But when LAX 2194 fell through, the actor read for the part of Chandler Bing in the show. As we now know, he landed the part in the end, which led to the most successful decade of his career.

Due to the popularity of the TV series, with co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, Matthew gained international fame. The show ran for 10 years, and towards the end of the series, raked in about US$1 million per episode for each of the main cast members. Friends’ success also brought Matthew more work as an actor, leading to him getting roles in films Fools Rush In, Three to Tango and The Whole Nine Yards. 

In 2018, Matthew spent five months in the hospital for a ruptured bowel. During the stay, Matthew’s colon burst due to opioid abuse, which left him in a coma for two weeks. Doctors told his family members that he only had a 2% chance of survival, but he thankfully pulled through after a long battle with his health issues. 

Throughout his life, Matthew grappled with ongoing substance abuse that took a toll on both his health and finances. In 2022, the actor himself estimated that he had spent over US$9 million on his addiction, including surgeries, rehab and therapy. 

The memoir, written by Matthew with a foreword by Lisa Kudrow, focuses on his long battle with substance abuse. Of course, the memoir talks about Chandler and the growth he underwent during the Friends years as well. The book documents his struggles as an addict, the successful years of his acting career, and how they shaped the later years of his life. A painful and intimate look into his world, the actor shares the personal moments of victory, as well as the relapses in his difficult journey towards breaking free from substance abuse. Upon its release in late 2022, he shared that he wanted his memoir to help others who might be struggling with similar addictions.