Matthew Perry: A life in pictures

US

Friends actor Matthew Perry died at his Los Angeles home on Saturday as a result of a suspected drowning. He was 54.

Tributes have poured in for the beloved star, who played Chandler Bing in the sitcom from 1994 until 2004.

He became a household name playing the warm and witty 20-something in New York City but suffered with alcohol and drug addictions during the show’s 10-year run.

Read more:
What Perry’s memoir revealed

The one who made everyone laugh
Tributes pour in for Friends star

His Friends cast members have said they are “utterly devastated” by his death, while other celebrities and loved ones have remembered his kindness, humour and talent.

Here, Sky News looks back on Perry’s life in pictures.

02 June 2021 - Talented junior tennis player Matthew Perry [middle] before his role as Chandler Bing on "Friends" one of the most beloved shows in television history. File Photo: Personal Photo 1985, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Photo Credit: Brent Perniac/AdMedia /MediaPunch /IPX
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Matthew Perry in 1985. Born in Massachusetts, he grew up in Canada and went to school with Justin Trudeau. He was a top-ranked junior tennis player. Pic: Brent Perniac/AdMedia/MediaPunch/IPX

Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock
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After a series of TV appearances, Perry made his film debut in A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon with River Phoenix in 1988. Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock

Craig Bierko (second left) and Matthew Perry (second right) and their Sydney co-stars in 1990
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He was cast in CBS sitcom Sydney, pictured here with co-stars in 1990. Pic: AP

Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
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Perry was cast in the starring role in ABC sitcom Home Free in 1993. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock

Cast of Friends
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In 1994, at the age of 24, he was cast as Chandler Bing in Friends. The show became an international phenomenon

David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc in Friends. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
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The six key cast members became close on set. But Perry struggled with alcohol and drug addictions during filming. Pictured here with David Schwimmer (left) and Matt LeBlanc (right). Pic: Everett/Shutterstock

Pic: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy
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The show was so popular that a host of high-profile celebrities made guest appearances including Julia Roberts who Perry had a relationship with. Pic: Everett Collection Inc/Alamy

Pic: Sipa/Shutterstock
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Sarah, the Duchess of York made a guest appearance in a special episode of Friends filmed in London in 1998. Pic: Sipa/Shutterstock

Matthew Perry with Friends co-stars Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston
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He was a beloved character on the show, with Chandler marrying Monica in the seventh season. Pictured with co-stars Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston

Pic: Danny Feld © 2002 Warner/NBC/PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy
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The cast became worldwide celebrities, earning a reported $1m an episode by 2002. Pictured here with co-stars Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston. Pic: Danny Feld/Warner/NBC/PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy

People watch the final episode of "Friends" at the Tribeca drive-in movie theatre in New York May 6, 2004. After 10 years, the "Friends" hour-long finale is expected to draw an estimated 40-50 million viewers, bidding fairwell to the TV comedy which followed the lives of six New York coffee shop regulars. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton SS
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People watching Matthew Perry in the Friends finale in a drive-in movie theatre in New York in 2004. The finale was one of the most-watched episodes of television ever, with 52 million people tuning in in the US

Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
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During the show’s 10-year run, he also starred in several other shows and films including 1997’s Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock

Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock
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Perry and Rosanna Arquette in the The Whole Nine Yards released in 2000. Pic: Moviestore/Shutterstock

The West Wing - 2003
Matthew Perry, Richard Schiff

2003
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Perry also received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2003 and 2004 for his performance as Joe Quincy in The West Wing

Cast members Katie Holmes and Matthew Perry pose at the premiere for the television series "The Kennedys After Camelot" at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California U.S., March 15, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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After Friends, Perry continued acting but struggled with his addictions. He appeared in projects such as The Good Wife, 17 Again and The Odd Couple. His last acting appearance was in TV series The Kennedys: After Camelot with Katie Holmes in 2017

Undated handout file photo issued by HBO Max of the Friends reunion special (left to right) Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. Friends??? star Matthew Perry has been found dead at his Los Angeles home, according to reports in the US. Issue date: Sunday October 29, 2023.
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Perry with his Friends co-stars at a 2021 reunion special episode: (left to right) Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc

A Conversation with Matthew Perry, The Town Hall, New York, New York, USA - 02 Nov 2022
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In November last year, Perry released his autobiography Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. In it he revealed he was an alcoholic at 14 and detailed how he suffered with the disease throughout his career

Perry in 2022. Pic: AP
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Matthew Perry at the GQ Men of the Year party in 2022. Pic: AP

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