Late last month Hollywood lost a piece of itself and caused devastation around the world with the passing of the famous “Friends” actor Matthew Perry. On October 28th Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub in his home. As soon as the news was released people’s hearts ached with pain to have lost the beloved actor at the age of 54. This article however is not focusing on how Perry died, but how he lived and the successes that came with it as well as the obstacles.
Perry was born into a family who already had one foot in the film industry, his father being an actor himself. His parents had split up when he was just an infant and lived with his mother in Canada until he was 15 when he moved to L.A. to be with his father. He had grown up with two passions which included tennis and acting Perry started his career as a child actor to reach Hollywood stardom. He had gotten many minor roles in films up until he auditioned for the show that would change his life forever called “Friends”. Perry would become famously known for his character named “Chandler” who was known for being sarcastic and witty. This recognition and fame would lead to several opportunities to play leading roles in movies like “Fools Rush In”, “The Ron Clark Story”, & “Almost Heroes”. He had even been nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. But with this new rise to stardom came the struggles with the dark side of Hollywood, Perry had developed an addiction to pills and substances. It had gotten so bad to the point his castmate Jennifer Aniston had confronted him about his problem and addressed concerns everyone had for him. After that Perry checked himself into rehab and spent nearly $9 million on recovery. Perry did not have much luck when it came to his love life either. He had gone on in his life without ever getting married or having children.
Perry had left a lasting impact on the people who had watched him change throughout his career. He had been able to connect with people many by just being a funny sarcastic character. Even through his addiction, he was an inspiration to many and had a lasting impact on the industry that he was so graciously a part of. Matthew Perry will continue to be a fond memory for all the people who have grown to love him and will always be remembered for his contribution to the Hollywood industry.
