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Taken so suddenly, no one could have seen this coming… Matthew Perry was found dead in his own home in Los Angeles in his jacuzzi. After first responders were dispatched from responding to a 911 call, they quickly found Matthew Perry unresponsive. The dispatch audio has been released to the public but parts of the 16 minute clip have been edited out. After closing off the area to the public, local law enforcement made a statement to TMZ about the actor’s death stating there were no drugs found on the site, and foul play is not currently suspected. His death is still under investigation as his family, former co-stars, and fans are heartbroken at this sudden tragedy.
“I wanted to be famous so badly there was steam coming out of my ears, and I desperately – I can’t stress this part enough, but desperately – needed the money that any break as an actor would give me. Then I got this audition, and when I read the sides, the part of Chandler leapt off the page, shook my hand and said, ‘This is you, man! I am you!’, and I knew I was going to book it. In this almost mystical way I knew that I would, and of course, I did. I was on Friends from age 24 to 34, I was in the white-hot flame of fame and earning obscene amounts of money per episode, for a solid decade. But for me, the feeling of ‘I’ve made it, I’m thrilled’ lasted maybe six or at most eight months. I think most stars do eventually realize that fame and money don’t accomplish anything, being rich and well known is not adding one damn bit of good to the world, and certainly not filling any holes in your life! But what they are good for, the fame and money, if you do ‘being a celebrity’ at all right, are as tools to help other people. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I’m still working through it personally, but the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I will do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’ So I do that, whenever I can. In groups, or one on one. And I created the Perry House in Malibu, a sober-living facility for men. I also wrote my play The End of Longing, which is a personal message to the world, an exaggerated form of me as a drunk. I had something important to say to people like me, and to people who love people like me. When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web… but when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
Perhaps best known for his comedic character on the sitcom show Friends, Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry was a common household name in the 1990s into the 2000s. He portrayed other similar character types in his Hollywood career, but always brought a new spin on each. Some of his other notable films and shows that he was in are: 17 Again, Fools Rush In, and Don’t Look Up. Reliving his time as Chandler Bing, he joined the rest of the Friends cast during Friends: The Reunion in 2021. The cast looked fondly at their times on set and shared memories with fans and welcomed guest appearances from the show. Matthew Perry’s cast members from Friends have recently shared a joint statement and broken their silence since the announcement of his death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. 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. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
During the show’s reunion, it was clear the stars of the sitcom would always be family to each other.
Almost a year after his memoir ‘Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing’ was released, fans recall much of Matthew Perry’s deep insights on his career, personal life, and struggles with addiction. Some insight on this matter was briefly discussed in earlier points in his career while appearing on talk shows and during interviews. However, none went as deep into how much he struggled through the pressure to feel funny over the course of his career.
Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew's favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.
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