Matthew Perry, star of Friends, dead at 54

Shocking news this evening. Matthew Perry, the beloved star of TV’s Friends, is dead at 54 after an apparent drowning. The news was first broken by TMZ, which confirmed that the actor was found dead Saturday at his home, the victim of an apparent drowning.

Famous for having played Chandler Bing on Friends, Matthew Perry was one of the biggest stars of the nineties. Before signing on to play the role that would make him a star, Perry was a journeyman sitcom actor, having memorably shown up on Growing Pains, as well as a slew of sitcoms that never lasted. But, good things come to those who wait, with Perry ideally cast as the wisecracking Chandler Bing. The role made him a household name, and Perry was able to parlay his stardom into a series of movie roles, the most memorable of which was probably The Whole Nine Yards, where he starred opposite Bruce Wills.

However, in the midst of his fame, Perry famously struggled with substance abuse, although, as stated in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing, Perry had been sober for many years. However, his appearance on HBO’s Friends reunion special caused a lot of concern, with him notably slurring his speech. However, Perry explained that he had undergone emergency dental surgery shortly before taping.

While he definitely had his ups and downs, Perry more than made his mark on pop culture and will always be remembered. Rest in Peace, Matthew. You were the best.

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