A friend close to Perry says those close to him are in “a total state of shock” following his death, news.com.au reports.
“It’s no secret that he struggled with drugs and alcohol for years, but the last time I spoke to him, which was within the last few weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.
“He was upbeat and sounded sober and positive.” the source said.
Days before his death, Matthew Perry’s last Instagram post sees him relaxing in a spa at night, with the caption: ‘Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman”.
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into the death, but reports say no drugs were found at the scene and no foul play is involved.
Police have been barring journalists from passing crime scene tape, while Perry’s mother arrived at the scene but refused to comment, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Tributes have continued to pour in for the Friends star all over social media, with Warner Brothers sharing a statement.
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones and all of his devoted fans.”
Fans have shared an emotional clip of the Friends reunion, tugging at the heartstrings of many as Perry shares the impact his co-stars made on his life, thanking them for the memories created together from the show’s 10-season run.
Perry rose to fame for his role as Chandler Bing on the ‘90s sitcom Friends, where he featured in 234 episodes across 10 seasons. His character was much-loved as his performance was in the hit series.
While he became a household name after his time on Friends, he went on to star in many other television shows over the years, such as Boys Will Be Boys, Growing Pains, Silver Spoons, Charles in Charge, Sydney, Beverly Hills 90210, Home Free, Ally McBeal, The West Wing, Scrubs, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Odd Couple and more.
While his on-screen persona was funny and upbeat, Perry suffered behind the scenes, most notably from his addiction to drugs, specifically painkillers, and alcohol. He was addicted to Vicodin for years, even while he was filming Friends, and had been in and out of rehab during the peak of his stardom.
Perry got candid about the painful chapter of his life in his memoir, which was released last year. In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, he detailed the struggles he faced throughout his career, such as his evident weight fluctuations on the show.
During his press tour for the book, Perry did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional about his public battle.
The actor never married, but he had a brief engagement to Molly Hurwitz a few years ago, which ended only six months later. Before that, he’d been linked to Lizzy Caplan.
