Published By: Dishya Sharma
Last Updated: October 30, 2023, 12:00 IST
Perry had previously hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1997.
Saturday Night Live paid tribute to Matthew Perry during its live broadcast within hours after the star was found dead.
There has been a global outpour of emotions and tribute for the beloved ‘Chandler Muriel Bing,’ as soon as the news of his demise surfaced. The extremely popular late-night American comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL) also took a moment to honor the memory of actor Matthew Perry shortly after news of his passing emerged. During the broadcast, a photograph of Perry was displayed, followed by a brief period of silence just before the customary goodnight segment. Comedian Nate Bargatze hosted the episode. Perry had previously hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live on October 4, 1997, with the musical group Oasis as the featured guest.
Perry was widely recognised for his role as Chandler Bing in the TV series Friends. He passed away at the age of 54 on Saturday. As reported by the LA Times, he was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub at his residence in Los Angeles on October 28.
Perry’s character, Chandler, on Friends (1994 to 2004) gained immense popularity for being sarcastic, kind, and humorous. In 2002, during the ninth season of Friends, Perry received a Primetime Emmy nomination for this role. Furthermore, he made appearances in other TV series, including Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On, The Odd Couple, and The West Wing. He secured two additional Emmy nominations in 2003 and 2004 for his role as Joe Quincy in the Aaron Sorkin political drama.
In 2022, Perry shared his ongoing battle with substance abuse in his memoir titled ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.’ He revealed that he remained sober for only one season during the ninth season of Friends and had grappled with addiction for the majority of his life. The memoir contained staggering details, such as his consumption of 55 Vicodin pills daily, participation in 6,000 AA meetings, 14 surgeries, and 15 rehab stints. Perry’s motivation in writing this book was to assist others facing similar addiction struggles.
In 2018, Perry faced a severe health crisis when his colon ruptured, leading to a two-week coma. Medical professionals gave him a mere 2% chance of survival. Remarkably, he pulled through, but he had to rely on a colostomy bag for nine months following his recovery.
Following the news of his passing, numerous celebrities expressed their condolences and shared their memories of the talented comedian. Among them, Paget Brewster, who appeared in six episodes of “Friends” as his love interest, Kathy, praised Perry’s kindness and encouraged people to read his book as a legacy of his commitment to helping others. Maggie Wheeler, who portrayed his ex-girlfriend Janice on “Friends,” mourned the loss and highlighted the joy Perry brought to many throughout his life.
