Forever familiar as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” Matthew Perry stayed active in network sitcoms into the 2010s. During the 2011-12 TV season, Perry starred as Ben Donovan, the put-upon manager of a failing sports venue in “Mr. Sunshine,” which he co-created. A year later, Perry was back with “Go On,” portraying a grieving widower who finds comfort and friendship in a support group. And from 2015 to 2017, Perry co-created and anchored a remake of the ’70s sitcom “The Odd Couple,” portraying the sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison opposite Thomas Lennon’s fastidious Felix Unger.
On October 28, 2023, Perry played pickleball, sent a tragic final text to his “Friends” costar Jennifer Aniston, and relaxed in the heated pool at his Los Angeles home. His live-in assistant returned to the residence to find that Perry had gone unconscious and slipped beneath the water, and emergency health workers couldn’t revive the actor. An autopsy by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined that Perry died from drowning, caused by a loss of consciousness and bodily function. Blood tests determined that Perry, who had sought treatment for substance abuse issues on multiple occasions over many years, died from the effects of a high level of ketamine. While the actor had been taking therapeutic doses of the drug for mental health issues, the amount in his system constituted a fatally high dose. Perry was 54.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
