PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES: From a promising funny man to an addiction advocate, Matthew Perry ran the gamut of labels before his tragic death at the age of 54.
Starring as Chandler Bing in “FRIENDS”, Perry achieved global fame and career success, delighting viewers everywhere in the process. But away from the camera, he lived with gut-wrenching trauma that came with severe addiction.
Leaving a void in his fans’ hearts, the iconic actor allegedly died of an apparent drowning at his Pacific Palisades home on Saturday, October 28.
Being one of the most loved stars of his generation, Perry left behind a humorous legacy that is untouchable. Here is a look at some big numbers in Matthew Perry’s widely celebrated life.
Year 1969
Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1969, to his parents Suzanne Marie Morrison and John Bennett Perry.
He was only one year old when his parents separated and his mother went on to marry Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. He was raised by his mother mostly in Ottawa, Ontario, but he also lived briefly in Toronto and Montreal.
Even though not much is known about Perry's connection with his stepfather Keith, it is clear that the two of them were close.
In an interview with People, the 'Dateline' actor had shared insight into their special bond ever since Perry was young. "He's one of those people who always is the center of the room for a reason and it was so as a kid," Keith said.
Age 14
Perry previously revealed that his road to addiction began at the age of 14 when he drank an "entire bottle" of wine. He told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer that he "had never drank before" prior to the experience at 14, which impacted him tremendously.
“I lay in the grass and was in heaven. I thought to myself, 'This must be the way normal people feel all the time,'" he stated during a 2022 interview.
Year 2194
Perry was struggling with full-blown alcohol addiction when he reached a major turning point in his life — he bagged the role of the iconic Chandler Bing in 'FRIENDS'.
In 2015, the actor revealed how he nearly missed the chance to audition for 'Friends' because of a pre-existing commitment for a pilot for a drama called LAX 2194.
“This happened to be the year that Friends was shot, but I was off the market because I had taken a job on a pilot called LAX 2194 that was about baggage handlers at LA Airport in the year 2194,” he explained during a 2015 appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
“So I was wearing a futuristic shirt,” he added. “And little people played the aliens in which I had to sort out the aliens’ luggage and that was basically the show.”
After finally accepting the part in the NBC comedy, Perry went on to star alongside Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow for 10 seasons on the show, which ran from 1994 to 2004.
During his time on 'FRIENDS', Perry allegedly earned about $20 million every single year, according to Parade.
40 TV shows
After 'FRIENDS', Perry’s career sky-rocketed to new heights and he reportedly earned pivotal roles in movies like '17 Again', 'Fools Rush In', 'Serving Sara', and 'The Whole Ten Yards'.
In his career, the actor also appeared in 40 TV series such as 'Growing Pains', 'The Odd Couple', 'The Ron Clark Story, 'Scrubs', and 'Ally McBeal'.
In 2003, Perry received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Joe Quincy on “The West Wing'.
A year later, he made his directorial debut and acted in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy-drama 'Scrubs', an episode which included his father.
His last on-screen appearance came in May 2021, when he participated in the special episode 'Friends: The Reunion'.
$1 million per episode
At the time of his death, Perry reportedly had a net worth of a whopping $120 million (£ 84 million), which made him the third richest member of the 'FRIENDS' cast.
The cast member started their careers earning five figures per episode back in 1994, but that jumped up to six figures - with each star earning a staggering $1 million (£820,000) per episode by the final season.
Before his death, Perry had invested heavily in the real estate market, with several high-profile properties in his portfolio.
55 Vicodin painkillers
After having his first drink at the age of 14, Perry was drinking heavily every day by 18. In 1997, he became addicted to Vicodin after a jet-ski accident and completed a 28-day rehab program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation that year.
At one point during his time on Friends, he was taking up to 55 Vicodin painkillers a day and was down to just 128lb (just over 9st) in weight.
In a 2016 interview, he revealed that he did not remember filming three seasons of the show because he was a “little out of it at the time”.
In 2022, he estimated that $9 million was spent on his addiction, including 14 stomach surgeries, 15 stays in rehab, and therapy twice a week for 30 years, according to Daily Mail.
Perry also asserted that he had attended approximately 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
