Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 - October 28, 2023), the American-Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom "Friends" (1994-2004), battled severe addictions to drugs and alcohol for much of his life. His weight fluctuations during the show's run were a visible manifestation of this struggle. Perry's openness about his addiction and recovery made him an advocate for rehabilitation and a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Early Life and Career
Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Perry was raised primarily in Ottawa, Ontario, by his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, a Canadian journalist who served as press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Perry's parents separated when he was a year old, and his mother later married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison.
Perry's acting career began with a small part in "240-Robert" in 1979. He made guest appearances on shows like "Not Necessarily the News," "Charles in Charge," and "Silver Spoons" in the 1980s. In 1987 and 1988, he played Chazz Russell in the television series "Second Chance" (later called "Boys Will Be Boys").
The "Friends" Years: Fame and Addiction
Perry's commitment to a pilot called "LAX 2194" initially made him unavailable for "Six of One," which later became "Friends." However, after the "LAX 2194" pilot fell through, he was cast as Chandler Bing, a role that would bring him international fame.
Perry said in 2002 that he made an effort not to drink on the set of Friends but did arrive with extreme hangovers and sometimes would shake or sweat excessively. During the later seasons of the series, he was frequently drunk or high on set.
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Perry's weight became a public indicator of his struggles. "You can track the trajectory for my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season," Perry wrote in his memoir. "When I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills. When I have a goatee, it’s lots of pills."
He told Power, "I was taking 55 Vicodin a day. I weighed 128 pounds" while on 'Friends,' getting watched by 30 million people, and that's why I can't watch the show.
He recalled one specific instance during "Friends": "Watch the final episode of season six and the first of season seven - the Chandler-Monica proposal episodes. I’m wearing the same clothes in both, since it’s supposed to be the same night, but I must have lost three and a half stone [50 pounds] in the off-season.”
Health Crisis and Recovery Efforts
In 2018, Perry spent five months in a hospital due to a gastrointestinal perforation. His colon burst from opioid abuse, leading to a two-week coma. Doctors initially gave him a 2% chance of survival. He spent two weeks in a coma and used a colostomy bag for nine months.
Perry revealed in an interview with Diane Sawyer that he had attended 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, detoxed 65 times, and went to rehab at least 15 times. He estimated he spent around $9 million on getting sober throughout the years.
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Later Career and Advocacy
Despite his health challenges, Perry continued to work in television, starring in series such as "Go On" and "The Odd Couple" reboot. He also appeared in "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight."
Perry became an advocate for addiction recovery, receiving the Champion of Recovery Award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2013.
Death
On October 28, 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, and was pronounced dead at 4:17 pm the same day. The cause of death was determined to be accidental drowning caused by the acute effects of ketamine use. The autopsy report indicated that the high levels of ketamine in his system led to cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression. Coronary artery disease and drowning were listed as contributing factors.
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