Rest in peace, Matthew Perry. The late Friends actor was laid to rest on Friday. The actor was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, not far from Warner Bros. Studios where he filmed Friends. The funeral was held Friday afternoon and was attended by his family and friends, including his former cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer.
Perry was best known for his beloved portrayal of Chandler Bing on NBC’s Friends.
Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 28. He was 54 and is survived by his parents, John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison.
On Oct. 30, Perry’s five main Friends co-stars — Cox, Aniston, Kudrow, LeBlanc, and Schwimmer — released a joint statement about Perry’s death. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” their statement read. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able,” the statement continued. “For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Perry was candid about his struggles with addiction in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing — and opened up in an interview at the time about how he didn’t want to just be remembered for his acting, or for playing Chandler Bing during the hit NBC sitcom’s 10-season run.
“The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking. Can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it,” Perry shared in a November 2022 interview on the Q with Tom Power podcast. “And I’ve said this for a long time: when I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
Despite Perry’s death, that goal came to fruition on Nov. 3 with the announcement of the formation of the Matthew Perry Foundation, a charity devoted to helping those struggling with substance abuse.
