The beloved actor Mathew Perry passed away on October 28th, 2023. Known for playing Chandler Bing, in the widely-popular sitcom Friends, he died at the mere age of 54.
Perry was born on August 19, 1969 to American actor John Bennet Perry and Suzanne Perry, a Canadian journalist. His early life was marked by his mother’s divorce from his father and he spent his childhood with his stepfather, living in Canada. There, Perry became a highly ranked youth tennis player and moved to LA at 15 years old to live with his father and focus on tennis. During this time, he had an epiphany and realized what he truly wanted was fame. After small acting gigs in his late teens, he landed a role as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC show, Friends. This would be the breakout role that secured Perry’s reputation as one of the best sitcom characters of all time.
Matthew Perry’s perfect comedic timing as Chandler, a well-earning white-collar worker living with his friend Joey Tribianni (Matt LeBlanc) in 1980s-90s New York City. Perry became known for his iconic lines which made Friends a hilarious comfort show.
“I’m Chandler; I make jokes when I’m uncomfortable,” Perry said in one episode.
His performance has resonated with viewers across generations and Friends as a whole became a show where the humor transcended age groups and brought families together to watch because of his timeless contribution.
Although his life seemed perfect on screen, Perry struggled with drug addiction behind the scenes. Perry remained strong-willed throughout his battle with addiction, helping many others become sober and supporting others who were struggling with it too. He was a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and in 2013 he received the Champion of Recovery Award from the White House.
Matthew Perry’s impact reaches far beyond the Hollywood studios and has impacted CHS students alike.
“Chandler Bing is one of the funniest in the friend group in my opinion. I always watch the show if I need a good laugh and Chandler has never failed to do that for me,” Junior Carlos Torres said.
Matthew Perry made millions laugh through his charisma, charm, and comedic skills; a true gift to television. However, the impact Perry had extends beyond a sitcom. With his platform, he was able to speak up for those struggling with drug addiction and help them recover. Matthew Perry will be remembered as Chandler for fans, but for countless others he will be remembered as someone who was caring, compassionate and helped others during their most difficult battles in life.
In the words of Chandler Bing, “Could this BE any more sad?”
