Matthew Perry, well-known for his role as Chandler Bing in the famous sitcom FRIENDS, died on October 28 at the age of 54. The actor was discovered unconscious in a hot tub. Perry was found unconscious and could not be revived by first responders.
Perry expressed his desire to be remembered after his death in an interview last year. The actor remarked that he wished to be known for something other than his role in the popular sitcom.
“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, and was a seeker. And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want,” he said in the Q With Tom Power podcast in 2022.
Matthew Perry battled addiction to opiates and alcohol for years throughout the height of his fame, and he attended rehabilitation clinics on many occasions. In his biography, ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,’ he chronicled his horrific experience.
When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned- Matthew Perry
He got a Vicodin addiction after a jet ski accident in 1997 and spent 15 days of therapy in 2001. He later transformed his old Malibu home into the Perry House, a sober living center. Perry stated that he would be clean in 2021 and claimed to have spent $9 million on the endeavor.
He added, “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it. When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
However, Perry did acknowledge that he was aware that his legacy would probably not extend beyond the highly successful show. “When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. 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,” he wrote.
“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 Odd Couple’ star concluded.
Mr. Perry dedicated his memoir to “all of the sufferers out there” and wrote in the prologue, “I should be dead”. He added, “People would be surprised to know that I have mostly been sober since 2001. Save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps over the years.”