One less friend - 8th November 2023

The popular TV sitcom 'Friends' has lost one of its stars. Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home, where first responders were unable to bring him back to life. The 54 year old's cause of death is still under investigation.

Perry began acting at the age of 11. However, he made it big when he was cast as Chandler Bing in Friends. At 24, the youngest cast member rose to international fame.

News of Perry's death resulted in an outpouring of grief from fans. Many travelled from near and far to pay tribute to the actor outside the Friends apartment in New York. Hope Pace travelled from Nashville to grieve the loss of the star.

Hope Pace: "Well, I've been fighting tears since I got here. I came because I was able, and I think it's important to pay respect to people who played a big part in our culture."

It's been almost 20 years since the last episode was filmed. However, fans like Desislaba Stoeva still watch Friends daily.

Desislaba Stoeva: "Feel very sad. It's gonna be weird rewatching it again. I actually watch it almost every day. I think he brought a lot of himself into the character and transformed it into something more than what it was."

Although Perry was successful and had many fans, he still had his personal struggles. He was addicted to alcohol at age 14 and later he became addicted to the drugs prescribed to him by doctors. Perry sought help at rehabilitation centres several times. However, the drugs affected his health so severely that they almost resulted in his death. Once he was better, Perry turned his house into a rehabilitation centre to help others who struggled with addictions too.

Fans of Perry, like Katie Cutler, will remember him as the cheerful and caring character Chandler Bing.

Katie Cutler: "He was such a heartwarming, kind, uplifting person that I feel like everyone could just turn on the TV and feel immediately comforted by him."