Celebrities are mourning the loss of actor Matthew Perry after his death at age 54.
Perry died from an apparent drowning on Saturday, October 28. Police responded to a call of someone in cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles home, where they reportedly found the actor unconscious in a jacuzzi.
Ian Ziering, who worked with Perry on Beverly Hills, 90210, took to Instagram, writing, “RIP Matthew. My heart goes out to his family and all who he was dear to. What a great guy, so sad.”
Before his death, Perry candidly discussed the ups and downs he faced after rising to stardom on Friends. The sitcom, which ran from 1994 to 2004, made Perry a household name for his role as Chandler Bing. Behind the scenes, however, Perry battled addiction after a Jet Ski accident in 1997.
Perry became addicted to Vicodin, which eventually led to alcohol abuse. In 2000, he was hospitalized with pancreatitis and ultimately started detoxing while still filming Friends. Over the years, Perry made multiple attempts to get sober. His struggles inspired Perry’s decision to open a sober living home for men in 2013.
After entering recovery, Perry detailed his journey in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.
“So much has been written about me in the past. I thought it was time people heard from me. The highs were high, the lows were low. But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldn’t. And it’s all in here. I apologize it’s not a pop up book,” he tweeted ahead of the book’s release in November 2022.
Scroll down to read tributes to the late star.