Matthew Perry Prayed To God In A Very Chandler Bing Way Before He Landed Friends
Nearly a year after the release of his heart-rending and darkly comic memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," actor Matthew Perry has died at 54. As TMZ originally reported, Perry, who was best known for his portrayal of the highly sarcastic but ultimately lovable Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom "Friends" during its 10-season run, was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi at his Los Angeles residence on October 28.
Though there is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved in Perry's death — per unnamed sources who spoke with TMZ, emergency services were initially notified of a possible cardiac arrest — the actor's issues with (and ongoing recovery from) substance use disorder has nonetheless spurred speculation and immediate tabloid fodder.
Perry's focus on his addiction to drugs and alcohol was a major theme in his memoir, and his honesty has made the news of his death all the more tragic for fans across the globe. On the face of it, both the book and his recent media appearances pointed to a new level of vulnerability he was willing to share — including his personal relationship with God, and a conversation he shared with a higher power that can't help but sound like his "Friends" character.
Matthew Perry's answered prayer found that fame wasn't a cure-all
During a December 2022 appearance on "The Jennifer Hudson Show," Matthew Perry recounted, in his own sardonic way, how a request he sent into the universe weeks before he was cast in "Friends" turned into its own complex cautionary tale. "God, you can do anything you want to me, just please make me famous," Perry recalled, but it came with a caveat. "God didn't forget the other part," he said, referring to decades-long addiction issues which began during his adolescence.
It would take time for Perry to discover that fame was far from a cure-all. He was hospitalized repeatedly, and his substance use led to a near-death experience by way of a ruptured colon in 2018, as The Los Angeles Times noted. But something did eventually click: "That's how I realized that the outside stuff doesn't really matter, and being famous doesn't really matter, and [it] isn't going to change your life."
Instead, as Perry described it, his fame acted as a conduit to his fans and enabled him to use his status to help others. One of his more recent efforts included raising money for COVID-19 relief with Chandler-inspired apparel in 2020, per Entertainment Weekly.
Though it will likely be weeks before there's an official ruling for his cause of death, perhaps the final words about Matthew Perry shouldn't come from the clinical gaze of a coroner's report. Maybe this time we should let him have his own, thanks to his memoir: "The path of least resistance is boring, and scars are interesting — they tell an honest story, and they are proof that a battle was fought, and in my case, hard-won."
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).