Actor Matthew Perry, best known as Chandler Bing from ‘Friends’ sitcom, dies at 54

Perry, who battled substance abuse for yrs and got sober at 43, was reportedly found unconscious at his Los Angeles home in a jacuzzi Saturday. He's believed to have died of drowning.

Matthew Perry poses at the premiere of the television series ‘The Kennedys After Camelot’ in Beverly Hills, California, in March 2017 | Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: Matthew Perry, best known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the cult American sitcom Friends, has passed away at age 54, reportedly from drowning in a hot tub.

TMZ reported that the actor was found unconscious at his Los Angeles home in a jacuzzi Saturday. People across the industry and on social media are mourning the loss.

Perry began his acting journey with guest appearances before landing the role of Chazz Russell on Boys Will Be Boys‘ from 1987 to 1988. But his big break came in 1994, when he was cast as the funny, witty and sarcastic Chandler Bing in Friends, a show that not only made its cast overnight stars but went on to air for 10 seasons.

The sitcom also found popularity in India, so much so that in 1999, Zee TV created a copy cat show called Hello Friends which failed to do well and disappeared without a trace after one season. In the Hindi remake, Cyrus Broacha played the role of Chandler.

Throughout 1997 and 2001, Perry had suffered from substance abuse and sought treatment for the same.

In a 2013 interview with People, Perry spoke about his journey and struggle with addiction. “I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he told the magazine in the cover story. “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew,” he added.

At the age of 43, after years of struggling with alcohol and pills, Perry was finally sober.

In 2021, the ‘Friends Reunion’ was aired. The special episode showing all six actors coming together again received massive love.

Even Amul featured a special topical on the episode, creating caricatures of all six lead actors — Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), David Schwimmer (Ross), Courteney Cox (Monica), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Matt LeBlanc (Joey) and Perry — staring at huge chunks of butter. “A must at reunions. Have with B.R.E.A.D”, the topical read.

Following news of his death, netizens shared on X and other social media platforms how Friends taught them about friendship, how Chandler made them laugh on a sad day, and how watching the sitcom again won’t feel the same anymore.