It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the death of Matthew Perry. The beloved actor brought joy to literally billions of people as Chandler Bing in the iconic NBC sitcom Friends.
When news broke of the actor’s tragic passing, his costars brought fans to tears with their emotional tributes on social media. It proved they really were a family on and off-screen, which makes every Friends rewatch even more emotional.
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On October 28th, 2023, it was reported that Matthew Perry had passed away at the age of 54 after an apparent drowning in his jacuzzi.
Following Perry’s passing, it was revealed that acute effects of ketamine had been the primary cause of death.
As a legal battle carries on against those allegedly responsible for his death, Perry’s family and friends are remembering the actor for all the light he brought to the world.
“When someone came and asked him for help, he would drop everything and do it,” one of Perry’s sisters Emily Morrison said in an interview with TODAY. “No matter where he was in life.”
“He made it a big focus of his life to help other people, to encourage other people to say, ‘I need help.’ He tried to make people see that that was a brave thing,” added his other sister, Caitlin Morrison.
Caitlin serves as the executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, which helps those struggling with addiction by “providing post-treatment support living with substance abuse disorders,” as per their website.
In an interview with Tom Power to promote his 2022 memoir, ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing’ Perry explained what he wanted his legacy to be.
“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker. And [my] paramount thing is that [I] want to help people…” he said, as per The Independent.
“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,” he continued.
“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…”
“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.”
Now, on the 1st anniversary of his passing, his costars are taking to social media to remember the actor for all the wonderful things he was.
His on-screen wife and off-screen best friend Courteney Cox shared a couple of sweet photos with the caption “Missing you today and always” and tagged the Matthew Perry Foundation.
Jennifer Aniston also took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes moments with the caption “1 year” with a broken heart emoji and a dove emoji.
She also tagged the Matthew Perry Foundation in her caption.
He is dearly missed by friends, family, and fans everywhere.
His legacy of kindness, laughter, and philanthropy will live on with the help of his loved ones and those running the Matthew Perry Foundation and the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada.
