Matthew Perry photographed at opening night for “Six Degrees of Separation” on Broadway at The Barrymore Theatre on April 25, 2017 in New York City.Photo:Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Matthew Perry’s loved ones are ensuring that his legacy will be carried out.
Before hisuntimely death on Oct. 28at age 54, the belovedFriendsstar, who battled alcohol and drug addiction for decades, wasplanning to establish a foundationto support those suffering from substance abuse. Now, Perry’s loved ones will be bringing that foundation to fruition in his honor.
The foundation’s website also features a black-and-white photo of Perry alongside an inspiring quote about his desire to help others.
“When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that,” the quote from his November 2022 appearance on theQ With Tom Powerpodcast read. “Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down.”
“I’ve helped 100,000 people in a weekend, but I’ve also helped one guy. And it’s the same amount of juice that I get from it,” he previously told PEOPLE. “It doesn’t matter when you see the lights go on in somebody’s eyes who’s been hammered or on drugs for 10 years. That’s what makes your heart grow. And that’s a wonderful thing.”
“The interesting reason that I can be so helpful to people now is that I screwed up so often,” he continued. “It’s nice for people to see that somebody who once struggled in their life is not struggling any more.”
Matthew Perry at the Playhouse Theater in London on Feb. 8, 2016.Dave Benett/Getty
Dave Benett/Getty
Throughout his lifetime, Perry was open about his own struggle with addiction.
In a 2013 PEOPLE cover story, the actorspoke about abusing alcohol and Vicodin, which a doctor had prescribed him after a 1997 jet ski accident. “I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he said. “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”
When Perry was first admitted to the hospital, doctors told his family he had only a “two percent chance to live.” He recalled being put on an ECMO machine, noting, “That’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
Matthew Perry at a red carpet event in Beverly Hills on March 15, 2017.Frazer Harrison/Getty
Frazer Harrison/Getty
Perry — who went to rehab 15 times over the years andspent a fortunetrying to get sober — also recounted a terrifying time during hisFriendsyears when he was popping 55 Vicodin pills a day and had dropped to just 128 pounds.
“I didn’t know how to stop,” he said. “If the police came over to my house and said, ‘If you drink tonight, we’re going to take you to jail,’ I’d start packing. I couldn’t stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive. So it gets worse and worse as you grow older.”
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In his2022 interview with PEOPLE, theFriendsstar said he wanted to share those deeply personal experiences in his memoir in order to help others on a similar journey.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” he said. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”
The cast of ‘Friends’ (from left): Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani,and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, circa 1995.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home last weekend after an apparent drowning,TMZfirst reported. Law enforcement sources told the outlet there were no drugs found and the scene, and no signs of foul play were present.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE thatan autopsy has been completedand results are pending a toxicology report. However, an online record has the status of the actor’s cause of death currently listed as “deferred” since it’s “pending additional investigation.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
