‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry found dead in hot tub at home

U.S. actor Matthew Perry died at the age of 54. He played Chandler Bing, a cynical and humorous character, in the TV series “Friends.”

The Los Angeles Times and TMZ reported that Perry was left dead at home in Los Angeles on Saturday (local time). The police found him lying unconscious in a hot tub in his place at around 4 p.m. on that same day. With investigations underway to look into the cause of his death, a source from the police was quoted by The Los Angeles Times as saying that no drugs or circumstantial evidence of a homicide were found at the site.

U.S. NBC TV series “Friends” was broadcast from 1994 to 2004, depicting friendships and love stories among six men and women living in New York. Perry’s role as Chandler dating a perfectionist character named Monica brought him worldwide fame and put him on the nomination list of the Emmy Awards.

In his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” released last year, the actor said that he struggled with drinking and drug issues for his lifetime, including when he joined “Friends.” He came clean about OxyContin abuse that drove him to the brink of death in 2018 as well. In a special documented film, “Friends: The Reunion” aired on HBO in 2021, he mumbled inarticulately with a depressed and dark look on his face, leaving his fans concerned about his health status.


Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com