Matthew Perry passed away on Saturday at his Pacific Palisades home after what seemed to be a drowning, according to a law enforcement source and the actor’s representative.
54 was his age.
According to a law enforcement source, a 911 call was received at 4:07 p.m. local time and was handled as a water rescue.
First responders were dispatched to a Pacific Palisades property at 4:07 p.m. in response to a 911 call regarding an unidentified “water emergency,” according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Brian Humphrey.
He added that Los Angeles police officers from the West L.A. Division were present and that no one had been brought to a hospital.
The police department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, which looks into high-profile crimes & cases involving celebrities, also responded, according to two law enforcement sources later on Saturday.
The sources stressed that there were no indications of foul play and that the case was a death inquiry.
According to them, an autopsy would likely be performed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner, who might also ascertain the cause and mode of death.
On Saturday night, more information regarding Perry’s passing was not immediately available.
Perry’s most well-known role was as a main cast member of the 1990s Generation X sitcom “Friends” on NBC. He portrayed the sarcastic and one-liners-loving statistical analyst Chandler Bing.
Blockbuster-like, the program dominated prime time alongside “Seinfeld.” It aired from 1994 to 2004 over ten seasons.
In addition, Perry starred in a number of other popular shows, such as “Scrubs,” “Growing Pains,” “Boys Will Be Boys,” Beverly Hills, 90210,” and The West Wing.
Perry, who was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, saw great success as a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada. When he relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 15, he essentially gave up the sport to focus on acting.
At the age of 24, he joined the cast of Friends.
Perry was on a press tour over a year ago in support of the publication of his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir,” which included further details about his struggle with addiction, including a near-death encounter in 2019 when his colon burst due to his opiate usage.
His time after “Friends” was dominated by stories about that fight, yet he played a number of respected and well-received parts. He claimed in the book to have spent up to $7 million on his healing and rehabilitation.
Responses to Perry’s passing were received from all around Hollywood.
Playing Janice, Chandler Bing’s girlfriend on “Friends,” Maggie Wheeler said Perry passed away too young and that everyone who knew him in real life and on-screen will miss him.
She expressed her hope that Perry was at peace, acknowledging the difficulties he had recounted in his memoir.
“Actor Matthew was extraordinarily giving. Every time I took the stage alongside him, his genius never failed to inspire me,” the woman remarked. “Even in his darkest times, his comedic timing was impeccable.”
The producers of “Friends,” Warner Bros. Television Group, released a statement on Saturday night saying, “We are devastated by the loss of our dear friend Matthew Perry.”
His legacy will endure in the hearts of countless people, the statement said, adding that “the impact of his comedic brilliance was felt around the world.”
TV station NBC, which ran “Friends,” expressed its sorrow.
“He brought a lot of joy to hundreds of millions of people across the world with his pitch-perfect comedic time and wry wit,” a statement from NBC stated. “His legacy will live on throughout countless generations.”