The Peak

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By Sean SeddonBBC News

Stars have spoken of their shock and admiration after Matthew Perry at his LA home aged 54.

The US actor was best known for playing Chandler Bing in The Hit '90s sitcom Friends .

Maggie Wheeler , who played on-screen girlfriend Janice, said the joy he brought to so many in his " Too Short lifetime will live on".

Perry won praise in recent years for his candid accounts of addiction and Mental Health struggles.

Friends , which followed The Fortunes of six Friends living in New York , aired from 1994 until 2004 and became a cultural touchstone of the era.

More Than 52 million viewers in the US alone tuned in for its 2004 finale, Making It The Most watched TV episode of The 2000S .

Morgan Fairchild, who played Perry 's on-screen mother and erotic novel writer Nora Bing, said: " I'm heartbroken about the untimely death of my 'son', Matthew Perry . "

" The Loss of such a brilliant Young Actor is a shock, " she added.

Paget Brewster , who played love interest Kathy in The Sixth series of Friends , said Perry " won't rest in peace" because " he's already too busy making everyone laugh up there".

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, she urged people to read Perry 's 2022 memoir Friends , Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, describing it as his " legacy to help".

The Book recounts his struggles with addiction to painkillers and alcohol during his sudden rise to fame, and lifelong struggles with Mental Health problems.

In 2016, he told BBC Radio 2 That he, because of his drink and drug use.

Perry experienced health problems including a burst colon in 2018 due to his drug usage, which required several operations.

Born in Massachusetts in 1969, Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school with Justin Trudeau , who later became Canadian Prime Minister .

Canada's leader: " Matthew Perry 's passing is shocking and saddening. I'll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around The World are never going to forget the joy he brought them.

" Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were Loved - and you will be missed. "

Perry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager. He starred as Chazz Russell in Boys Will Be Boys and had roles in shows including Growing Pains .

But it was his role in Friends - alongside Jennifer Aniston , Courteney Cox , David Schwimmer , Matt Leblanc and Lisa Kudrow - That launched him to international stardom.

Perry was cast as the awkward Chandler Bing , famous for his sarcastic one-liners and his childish behaviour with room-mate Joey Tribbiani .

The Role earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002. Regular reruns and streaming services have allowed it to find a New Generation of devotees.

Tributes have been paid by Famous Fans of The Show , including singer Adele, Who Said she felt she had a connection with Perry after decades of watching Friends , despite having never met him In Person .

" I just want to say how much I love what he did for all of us, " She Said in a video message.

Warner Bros, which produced The Show , described Perry as a " true gift to us all".

But despite The Show 's universal popularity, Perry spoke about not being able to watch The Show in an.

" I didn't watch The Show , and haven't watched The Show , because I could go, 'Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine,'" He Said . " I could tell season by season, by how I looked. That 's why I don't wanna watch it, because That 's what I see. "

Perry 's film credits include fools Rush In, Almost Heroes and the Whole Nine Yards and he won critical acclaim for later TV roles.

His role as associate White House counsel Joe Quincy in Aaron Sorkin 's The West Wing earned him two Emmy nominations for outstanding guest actor in a drama series in 2003 and 2004.

He played The Lead role in Sorkin's later series, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip , then wrote and produced his own Show called Mr Sunshine in which he also played The Lead character.

Lucy Davis , who starred in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , said it was an " honour" to work with Perry on The Show .

: " He was as funny Off Screen as he was on screen. He was really kind to me: I had One Week where I was having difficulty with something at work and he came up to me and told me not to worry because he had my back.

" Thanks for all the laughs Matthew. You made a great impact on me. "

His final significant TV project was a TV reboot of The Odd Couple , which lasted on American screens for Three Seasons .

The Wire actor Wendell Pierce , who also starred in The Odd Couple , said: " For two years Matthew Perry was My Boss , my colleague, and a giving, kind, Funny Man . "

The Friends cast, where Perry Once Again opened up about his Mental Health struggles during The Peak of The Show 's success.

He recalled " freaking out" and feeling " like I would die" if The Audience didn't laugh at one of his lines, describing his mindset at The Time as " not healthy".

The LA Times and TMZ, which first reported That Perry had died, said The Actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his house.

A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told The Bbc That first responders went to an address in the Pacific Palisades area, regarding a " water emergency" of an unknown type, but did not name Perry .

, published a few days ago, shows him relaxing in a rooftop pool. It has since attracted a stream of tributes from fans.

Perry leaves parents John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Perry , who split up when he was a baby. He has five half-siblings. He never married and had No Children .

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Source of news: bbc.com