Matthew Langford Perry was an American-Canadian actor who died on October 28, 2023. Matthew acted in the famous sitcom “Friends” and a series of other movies and television shows. However, while Perry’s character Chandler consistently elevated the mood with his sarcastic comic relief, under the surface, Perry suffered deeply from drug and alcohol abuse.
Since the age of 14, Matthew battled with alcoholism and opioid addiction to numb the pain of his fractured familial relationships. As he grew into stardom, his addictions only grew worse. Matthew was sent to the hospital in 2019 after his overuse of opioids caused his colon to explode. His family was told that he had a 2% chance of living. Miraculously, he survived, and his recovery led him to try to find a new purpose in life.
Sophomore Meghan Keonon states that she only knew about Perry’s role as Chandler, One of my favorite series is Friends, and I had no idea that the actor who played Chandler had such a serious addiction. Knowing that a well-known actor like Matthew Perry struggled with this issue, in my opinion, would inspire others to get treatment.”
In 2013, Matthew converted his mansion in Malibu, California, into a home for recovering addicts of alcohol and drugs. This home ran for two years and led to Perry receiving the Champion of Recovery award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and also becoming a member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Sophomore Maddy Phillips discloses her opinions on Matthew Perry since finding out about his death, “Matthew Perry was a great actor, and it was really sad to hear about his death. I had heard that he hoped to create a substance abuse foundation, and it’s disappointing to see he could not do it.”
Matthew tragically drowned in his hot tub last Saturday at age 54. However, being allegedly sober at the time investigators say there was no foul play and Perry did not have any illicit substances in his system. At this time, Matthew Perry should be known not only for his role on “Friends”, but also for his lengthy work with those suffering from substance misuse.
