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Matthew Perry Previously Revealed How He Wanted to Be Remembered for More Than ‘Friends’ When He Died
One year before Matthew Perry’s death, the actor opened up about dying and how he wanted people to remember him. He said he hoped that the public would recognize that he was more than just an actor, specifically noting the impact he wanted to have on anyone struggling with drug addiction like he once did.
“When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends,” he told Tom Powers in 2022. “And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web. But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
The late actor did the interview while promoting his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In the book, he opened up about overcoming his addiction struggles.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in life,” he added in the Tom Powers interview. “I’m still working through it personally, but the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I can do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’ So I do that, whenever I can.”
Matthew was 54 years old when he died of an apparent drowning on Saturday, October 28. First responders reportedly arrived at the Friends alum’s home after a call about someone in cardiac arrest. He was found dead in the hot tub, according to TMZ. There was reportedly no sign of drugs at the scene and foul play is not suspected. An investigation is ongoing.
Friends was Matthew’s most notable acting role throughout his career. He starred as Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom from 1994 until 2004. His costars Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox have yet to publicly speak out about this tragedy.
The group remained close in the years since Friends wrapped, but were rarely all in the same room together. In fact, the Friends reunion special in 2021 was only the second time that all six of them had gotten together since the show ended. The special featured the stars reuniting to discuss their time on the show and share special memories with fans.
