LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry, who rose to the heights of television fame as one of the stars of “Friends,” was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, sources tell KABC.
He was 54.
Perry was found unresponsive in a location described only as a “body of water” at his home in the Pacific Palisades, sources said.
Los Angeles firefighters and police responded to Perry’s address shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday on a report of a possible drowning. But whether drowning was the actual cause of death will be the subject of further investigation.
There were no signs of foul play at the scene but Los Angeles Police Department detectives are handling the investigation. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
Perry portrayed Chandler Bing on the top-rated sitcom, which ran on NBC from 1994-2004. As the show became more and more popular through the late 1990s, its cast – including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer – rocketed to international celebrity status and became some of the highest-paid TV stars ever.
Matthew Perry: A look back at his life and career
Actor Matthew Perry describes his struggle with addiction in his new memoir. He played Chandler Bing on “Friends.”
After the show ended Perry transitioned to a film career with features such as “The Whole Nine Yards” and “Fools Rush In.”
He also documented his struggles with substance abuse, which led to personal health crises, but has said he was sober in recent years. He released a memoir last year titled “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Tributes from actors and fans poured in on social media.
Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s love interest Janice, wrote: “What a loss.The world will miss you Mathew 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.”
Selma Blair wrote on Instagram: “My oldest boy friend. All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams.”
Perry’s mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, is a Canadian journalist who at one point worked for former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Pierre’s son Justin, who would later become prime minister himself, went to school with Matthew Perry in Canada.
Justin Trudeau wrote Saturday: “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. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”
Matthew’s mother Suzanne married Canadian journalist Keith Morrison – later of NBC and “Dateline” fame – in 1981. Morrison was at the scene Saturday outside Perry’s home but declined to make a public comment.
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