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Matthew Perry's Family Thank Fans for "Outpouring of Love" in Wake of His Death
Perry is survived by his mother Suzanne Morrison, his father John Perry, his stepdad Keith Morrison, and five siblings.
Matthew Perry's family has released a statement following the actor's sudden death at the age of 54. The Friends star died of an apparent drowning on October 28 at his Los Angeles home, according to NBC News.
Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC show Friends, which ran from 1994-2004. One of the main characters in the ensemble cast, Chandler was known for his quick wit and sarcastic comments. His other roles include Fools Rush In, 17 Again, Scrubs, The Odd Couple, Beverly Hills 90210, and more.
"He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations," NBC said in a statement.
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Matthew Perry's family releases a statement following his death
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother," the family said in a statement to People. "Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
The Ontario native's mother is journalist Suzanne Morrison, and his father is actor John Bennett Perry. Matthew Perry's parents split shortly after Perry was born, and his mother went on to marry famed true crime journalist Keith Morrison, Dateline NBC's longtime correspondent. Perry is also survived by his five siblings, Caitlin Morrison, Emily Morrison, Will Morrison, Madeline Morrison, and Maria Perry.
In 2020, Morrison spoke to People about his relationship with his stepson. "He's one of those people who always is the center of the room for a reason and it was so as a kid," he told the outlet. "He's an intense, talented, focused character. He's very bright. That was always the case as he was growing up."
Matthew and his father John appeared on screen together multiple times, including a 2004 episode of Scrubs that Matthew also directed. John also guest-starred in the Season 4, Episode 18 episode of Friends titled “The One with Rachel’s New Dress.” There, John played the father of Rachel's boyfriend.
Matthew Perry helped those struggling with addiction in his final interviews
Almost a year before his death, Perry released a memoir titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which chronicled his battle with addiction.
Perry spoke about what advice he would give to this facing similar struggles in a video posted to his official Instagram page in November 2022, making it one of his final interviews.
“I want people to understand that they’re not alone, that there are other people feeling exactly the way they’re feeling, that their behavior is not insane, that they have a disease and it’s not their fault." he said.
“There’s a very famous line that people don’t change. I happen to know that people do change and I see that every day. I see people getting better. I see the lights in their eyes come on and they get through the terrible part of addiction and the detox and they’re able to live a normal life as long as they do a certain amount of work every day.”
