Fans grieving the actor Matthew Perry’s death are sharing excerpts of an interview in which the late Friends star talks about how he would like to be remembered.
In a podcast interview with Tom Power last year, Perry revealed that he aspired to be remembered not for his iconic role in the sitcom Friends but for his efforts in supporting people struggling with addiction.
He said: “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life but the best thing about me, bar none, 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.”
The 54-year-old American-Canadian star, best known for his Friends portrayal of sarcastic joker Chandler Bing, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday. Partial audio released from a 911 call from his home shows police saying they are responding to a “drowning”, though the cause of death is still under investigation.
Perry’s family released a statement to People, saying: “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.”
Perry appeared on the Q with Tom Power podcast in 2022 to promote his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
In the podcast episode, Perry spoke about his experiences as an actor on Friends and went on to share the story of his addiction. He was then asked: “How would you like to be remembered”.
He responded: “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...
“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.”
Perry’s colleagues have been among those paying tribute since his death, with Friends co-star Maggie Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein on the show, writing on Instagram: “What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry.”
Selma Blair, Paget Brewster, Octavia Spencer and Yvette Nicole Brown also shared condolences.
