Fans Mourn Matthew Perry Outside 'Friends' Building In NYC
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on October 30, 2023 at 4:13 PM EDT
Fans of the "Friends" television show are coming together to mourn the death of Matthew Perry, the iconic actor who portrayed Chandler Bing for 10 seasons.
As we reported, police responded to a 911 call reportedly to assist with a possible ‘water rescue’ at Perry’s Pacific Palisades home. When the first responders arrived, they found the 54-year-old “Friends” actor in his hot tub, unresponsive. He is believed to have drowned, but an autopsy and toxicology reports will be able to answer more questions about his true cause of death.
Following the tragic death of Perry, fans of "Friends" are leaving flowers and other memorabilia on the sidewalk outside of the iconic apartment of the show.
'The One Where Fans Mourn The Death Of A Friend'
Matthew Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the famous sitcom, ‘Friends,’ where he appeared alongside Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller/Bing), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay).
The show was filmed in New York City, with the characters on the show also living in the same location.
After fans heard the news of Perry's unexpected death, they gathered together in front of the apartment building from the show in NYC, leaving flowers, t-shirts, notes, and other memorabilia to pay respect to the late actor.
Fans can be seen gathering around a lamp post and leaving flower bouquets as a way to mourn the Chandler Bing actor.
While promoting his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” the 54-year-old actor spoke out on how he wanted to be remembered whenever the time. “[I want to be remembered] as a guy who lived life, loved well, lived well, and helped people. That running into me was a good thing and not something bad.”
Fan Leaves Heartfelt Note To Matthew Perry
One fan left a note that read, "Friends was the answer and solution to my anxiety before I even had a word for that feeling. All I know is that whenever I had a [...] feelings, I could pop n a VHS box set (IYKYK) for a given reason in the VCR and not just feel okay, but even laugh."
The note continued, "Thank you, Matty, for making me feel peace and joy, from middle school to my mid-30s, even when you didn't know your impact is immeasurable."
"You were and will always be a friend to so many strangers who grew up and relied on you," the fan wrote. "Thank you for being true to us."
Matthew Perry Struggled With Addiction For Years
The 54-year-old actor had struggled with addiction for a long time, though it wasn’t until he released his memoir that he opened up and let down his walls about that time in his life.
“[I was] at the height of my highest point in ‘Friends’, the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show,” the actor when promoting his memoir last year. “When you’re a drug addict, it’s all math. I wasn’t doing it to feel high or to feel good. I certainly wasn’t a partyer; I just wanted to sit on my couch, take five Vicodin, and watch a movie. That was heaven for me. It no longer is.”
Perry went on to say he had been clean for 18 months at the time, stating, “I’ve probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober.”
Drowning has been named as the likely cause of death, however, this has not yet been confirmed. An autopsy has been set and will answer more questions regarding Perry’s death.
Rest in peace, Matthew Perry.
