Friends Star Matthew Perry dies aged 54

American actor Matthew Perry who became known globally as Chandler Bing from the 90’s TV sitcom Friends has died at the age of 54.

Law enforcement sources told US media outlets that the actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles. The LA Times and TMZ, who first reported the news, said the actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his LA home. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told reporters that the first responders went to an address in the Pacific Palisades area, regarding a “water emergency” of an unknown type.

Global Reactions

With Friends still popular today, fans of the TV sitcom have taken to social media to pay their respects. Canada’s prime minister – Justin Trudeau who attended elementary school with Perry posted on his X (formerly Twitter) feed: “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s troublesome ex-girlfriend Janice in Friends, was the first of Perry’s co-stars to publicly pay tribute to the actor. Wheeler said the joy Perry brought to “so many” in his “too short lifetime will live on”.