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Business Manager: Brendan Flaherty

Email: bflaherty1@umassd.edu

On October 28th, 2023, the world was informed about the passing of Matthew Perry at age fifty-four due to an apparent drowning.

While it is sad for anyone to pass away, losing this famous actor and well-known comedian was undoubtedly difficult for many people.

For those who don’t know who Matthew Perry is, he was most prominently known for the famous TV show Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004.

So many people tuned in during or even after the release of Friends to watch all the episodes, as the characters were made to be relatable and funny. It was a show about a group of friends who get into wacky situations and deal with life as it comes their way.

For many, it was a show that people could relax to and forget about the world’s troubles.

One main character in particular became a fan favorite, which was none other than Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry.

Like Perry, Chandler always carried a sense of humor and kept the cast and the audience laughing all the way through the episode.

It can be seen now that Perry would crack jokes with the other cast members both on and off the show’s set.

However, after his recent passing, fans are unsure if they can ever come back to the series, if at all. Seeing Matthew Perry in the episodes just won’t be the same anymore, knowing that he’ll only exist in our thoughts and on our screens. 

So what are fans doing to mourn the actor’s passing?

For starters, fans have gone to Matthew Perry’s Instagram account to comment on his most recent post, sending their condolences and talking about how much of an impact he had on them.

Fans have also gone to the location of the Friends apartment in New York to set up little memorial sites to remember the legacy of Matthew Perry, according to an article from Variety on msn.com.

Many visitors to the spot had signs that read, “The one where we all lost a friend,” playing off how all the episodes of the show were titled, according to Variety.

HBO honors Perry with a tribune that reads “In memory of Matthew Perry” on their streaming service, Max.

American Singer and Songwriter Charlie Puth paid tribute to Perry by playing the Friends theme song to the audience.

According to an article from people.com, the entire cast from the show has put out a joint statement regarding his untimely death.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement reads. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

Many people are finding ways to remember the legacy of Matthew Perry and all that he has done for us as fans and as people.

While the exact reason for his death is not yet known, there is some speculation as to what ultimately caused it.

Perry tended to post fairly strange things on his public Instagram account, which led people to start worrying about his mental health.

His most recent post was in the pool that he was suspected to have drowned in, captioning it saying, “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.” This post was made a mere five days before his tragic passing, leaving many to wonder what he might’ve been going through.

During and after Perry’s time on the show Friends, he became very vocal about his terrible experiences with drugs like alcohol and opioids.

He used both his own style and the apparent style of the character to ultimately hide the fact that he was dealing with these drugs and struggling to win the war for his life.

In his time after the show came to an end, Perry focused on bettering himself and helping as many people as possible as well.

According to an ABC News article, he “established a sober house to aid others in their struggle with addiction,” aiming to shift what he was ultimately known for.

It was later mentioned during an interview for Q with Tom Power that Perry did not wish to be remembered just for his appearance in Friends but for what he did with his fame afterward.

In that interview, he said, “‘I want [helping people] to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.’” as mentioned during the interview on Q with Tom Power, at 44 minutes and 34 seconds in.

Ultimately, he will be remembered for all this and more.

He was a very good person and the best friend that we could’ve ever asked for.

Rest in Peace, Matthew Perry.