‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry dies at age 54

Matthew Perry, famous for his comedic acting work on the hit television show “Friends,” died on Saturday in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. He was 54.

TMZ reported that first-responders arrived at the scene on Saturday on a call regarding a cardiac arrest, and apparently might have drowned. Citing sources, the website said that there were no drugs located at the scene and no evidence of foul play.

Perry’s cause of death was not immediately known.

Police responded to a call at 4:10 p.m. to a residence in the 18000 block of Blue Sail Drive of a death investigation of a male in his 50s, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison confirmed to City News Service.

As of about 8:20 p.m. Saturday, a large police presence remained at the residence as an investigation continued.

The last post on Perry’s Facebook page, five days ago, featured him sitting in the corner of a steaming pool with a view of the moon and lights behind him. “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” he wrote.

Perry had publicly announced that he had been clean and sober for about a year, but had previously battled substance abuse for years. He became addicted to Vicodin during his time on “Friends” -- and had done multiple stints in rehab, including during filming of the show.

There quickly were social media tributes to Perry from celebrities who knew and worked with him.

“Oh no!!! Matthew Perry!! You sweet, troubled soul!! May you find peace and happiness in Heaven, making everyone laugh with your singular wit!!! ” wrote Mia Sorvino in a social media post.

Octavia Spencer wrote: “I’m incredibly saddened to hear of Matthew Perry’s passing today. His gift to the world will be remembered forever. Sending love to Matthew’s family, friends, co-stars and millions of fans around the world.”

Perry was most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the 1990s hit sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons. He also appeared in other hit shows including “The West Wing,” “Ally McBeal,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Growing Pains,” “Scrubs,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Silver Spoons,” “Growing Pains,” “Charles in Charge” and more. He also performed in movies, including “Fools Rush In,” “The Whole Nine Yards” and “Three to Tango,” among others.

In 2022, he published a memoir detailing his troubles with drugs and alcohol, his issues with weight gain and loss, and other facets of his at-times tumultuous lifestyle, including a harrowing account of an emergency surgery following a gastrointestinal perforation, which nearly took his life.

He never married, but was once engaged.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry dies at age 54