The changing face of Matthew Perry: Tragic 'FRIENDS' icon's life in pictures
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'FRIENDS' star Matthew Perry's tragic death at 54 on Saturday, October 28, allegedly by drowning in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home, shocked the entire world.
Being one of the most loved stars of his generation, Perry experienced both the zenith of success in Hollywood and the nadir of existence because of his severe health struggles stemming from alcohol and substance addiction.
Even though the actor and author made his television debut in 1979's '240-Robert', Perry found astronomical fame through his role as Chandler Bing in the NBC sitcom 'FRIENDS', which had a successful run from 1994 to 2004.
1994 - 'FRIENDS' starts airing
The first episode of the NBC sitcom 'FRIENDS' aired on September 22, 1994, with the episode 'The One Where It All Began'. Perry starred in the assembled cast of the show which included the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer.
Matthew Perry gets addicted to vicodin following jet ski accident in 1997
In 1997, Perry was prescribed the drug vicodin to manage the pain after a jet skii accident. That started his addiction, leading to his 28-day-long stint at the Hazelden rehab center in Minnesota, per Us Weekly.
Matthew Perry was hospitalized in 2000 for alcohol-related pancreatitis
In 2000, Perry spent 30 days in a hospital after suffering from pancreatitis due to an excessive intake of alcohol. He wrote in his memoir 'Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing' that he was being "fed fluids through an IV." The last episode of 'FRIENDS' Season 6 aired in May 2000 while the first episode of Season 7 aired in October of the same year.
While the show went on a hiatus, the storyline started from the same time frame. Fans noticed Perry's drastic change during the hiatus.
He wrote in his book that when he was told about his disease, he told the doctor. "No. I don't drink too much.' Pancreatitis at the age of thirty was unheard of. Yay for me! Another record," per E! News.
2002 - Road to recovery
The star spent two and a half months in a private rehab center in 2002 and came back sober. He was also able to finish his stalled project 'Serving Sara'.
He told The New York Times, "I didn’t get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.”
2004 - 'Friends: The Last One'
Breaking the hearts of several fans all over the world, 'FRIENDS' aired its last episode on May 4, 2004. He wrote in his memoir that despite his continuous struggle with alcoholism and addiction, he was sober during the penultimate season of the show.
2013 - Opening of Perry House
The 'Fools Rush In' star opened a sober living facility for men in Malibu named 'Perry House' in 2013. He told The Hollywood Reporter later, “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life and a lot of wonderful accolades,” before adding, "The best thing about me is that if an alcoholic comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me stop drinking?’ I will say, ‘Yes. I know how to do that.'"
2018 - Matthew Perry had a near-death experience
Perry spent several months in the hospital in 2018 following a massive health scare. His colon "exploded" from years of opioid overuse, leading him to spend two weeks in a coma and five months in hospital. He wrote in his memoir that the doctor told his family and friends in the hospital, "'Matthew has a two percent chance of making it through the night.' I will have to live out the rest of my days knowing that my mother and others heard those words."
2021 - 'FRIENDS' reunion
Perry, along with the other cast members, appeared on 'FRIENDS: The Reunion' in 2021. Though it was planned for an earlier release, the project was stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
2022 - Memoir release in November
Perry released his memoir titled 'Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing' on November 1, 2022, where he detailed his struggle with alcohol and drug addiction and the major turning points of his career.
2023 - Perry made cryptic social media posts before his death
Before his death on October 28, Perry shared some cryptic posts on Instagram. In his last Instagram post from his hot tub, Perry wrote on October 23, "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."