the reaction is coming in, the death of matthew perry, the actor of "friends." back in a moment. to duckduckgo on all your devie

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we are back with breaking news, just in to cnn. actor matthew perry has died at the age of 54. law enforcement sources reporting that the friends star was found at 4:00 in the afternoon in his hot tub at his los angeles home. we are reporting at cnn we do not know yet the cause of his death and the investigation is ongoing. there appears to be no sign of foul play but robbery homicide detectives from the l.a. police department are also investigating and looking into this issue. perry appeared in countless other tv shows in addition to

"friends" but of course he is perhaps best known for the role of chandler bing in "friends." the sitcom ran for ten seasons and he appeared in every single episode. you know him so well it's hard to even separate chandler bing from matthew perry. he wrote a great deal about the distinction between the two. he battled with alcohol and drugs and painkillers, very well-known. he wrote about his addiction in his memoir that he titled "friends, lovers, and the big terrible thing," including that he went to rehab more than 60 times to try to get the help he needed. cnn's camilla is in los angeles. what more do we know about the loss of what feels like a friend to everyone, matthew perry. >> laura, really a lot of shock and sadness coming from hollywood and from his fans

after learning the news. we know some of the details according to the l.a. times because what they're saying is this was an apparent drowning accident. they're also saying there is no foul play at the moment. they're citing law enforcement sources. we did get confirmation from l.a. fire that a 911 call was made at 4:07 p.m. they said that this call was for a water rescue emergency. lapd also saying they did respond to a home matching perry's address. that was for a death investigation. all of this is still fast moving and developing. we are waiting for authorities to give us more details and confirmation. i do want to go back to the beginning. matthew perry was born in massachusetts. his father was an actor, his mother a journalist. when the two split up he moved with his mother to canada.

he spent a while in canada. it was there that he sort of developed this love for tennis. he was actually a top ranked tennis player in canada and moved back to the u.s. as a teenager and that's when he started this acting career following his father's foot stops and started with small roles and got bigger roles and led him to "friends" and the role that truly made him famous and it was just something people loved to watch and still do over and over again as they watch the replays, the jokes, mannerisms, the way he just made everyone laugh and made himself relatable. these were friends onscreen and off screen and famously known for negotiating their contracts together and having the highest salary in a tv series together

as a group. so they're a tight-knit group of friends on and off the camera. also important to point out he specifically said that he shared his struggles with addiction because he wanted to help other people. i think that's part of the reason why a lot of people were also able to relate to him. he said one of the things that was shocking to him was his own resilience and said that he was just able to bounce back on what he said was torture and awfulness. he was own about it, he was candid, he was emotional during the interviews when he was promoting his book as he spoke about these struggles with addiction. again, this is something he put out in the open for the public to learn about and relate to. that's also part of the reason why so many people today are mourning his loss and honoring his memory, his legacy and what

he left us on tv. people are still watching it today. >> what you say is so true, i'm looking across social media and remembering myself about all the funny lines. and every time you try to move a couch up some stairs, the pivot, pivot discussion he was having and you think about how quintessential could he be any more chandler. perry was one of the stars of the hit sitcom, "friends," produced by warner brothers. we want to share that statement we just got from the warner television group, saying we are devastated by the passing of our dear friend, matthew perry, an incredibly gifted actor and television family. the impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world and

his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. this is a heart-breaking day. we send our love to his family, his loved ones and all of his devoted fans. tonight, there is reaction from the official "friends" social media account, we are devastated to learn of matthew perry's passing. he was a true gift to us all. our heart goes out to his family, loved ones and all of his fans. there is reaction from hollywood as well, melissa posting, a high school classmate died today, so sad, gone too soon, rip. actress mirra sarvino wrote tonight oh, no, matthew perry, you sweet troubled soul, may you find peace and happiness in heaven making everyone laugh with your singular wit. she followed that with three broken hearts.

there are tributes coming in to matthew perry with some of the regulars who also appeared on "friends." that included maggie wheeler who played his on again, off again girlfriend, janice, who could forget that relationship. writing, what a loss. the world will miss you, matthew perry, the joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. i feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared. i want to bring in entertainment reporter, elizabeth wagmaster as well. when you're looking at this, what is your reaction of the enormous support and memories flowing in? >> you really get a sense of who matthew perry was. all of these messages you're reading and i've been looking at them as well you see how good of

a friend he truly was to everyone. he feels like a friend to you and me but to the people in hollywood who knew him he was an unbelievable person. i was just texting now with the publicist on nbc who totaled me they would tweet back and forth about the kings, i guess he was a fan of the l.a. kings and one day just invited him over, come watch with me. this is one of the biggest stars in television history just inviting someone over who he doesn't really know that well. it seems like that was the type of guy that he was. i can share a bit of a story with you. i never interviewed matthew perry. i do remember when i was an stand at "tv guide" magazine at the beginning of my career, he had a show on nbc called "go on," not many people may remember because it lasted just one season, it was such a big

deal matthew perry, the star of "friends" was coming back to nbc we wanted a cover with him. that was going to be a big get. he didn't want to do it. he wasn't someone who liked to do press. that say as lot about who matthew perry was as a person. it's rare in hollywood who can find a star who doesn't want to be on a magazine cover. this shows he was in it for the love of his craft, acting, making people laugh. he wasn't in it for the attention. i think we can see that by who he was. he wasn't at a ton of hollywood events and wasn't always out. you don't know much about his private life other than what he shared so deeply in his memoir. one of the most successful television stars of all time but not so much a hollywood star. >> he had asked out jennifer anniston three years before

"friends" happened, she declined and not only were they the friends, they were friends going forward. i had a chance to meet him almost a year to the day last year i had the privilege to do a show with bill maher and he came to promote his book and he was giving it back to bill maher as much as he was. he was self-deprecating. he was kind, introduced himself to me and said, hi, i'm matt. he was so humble and i remember him turning and saying, is that okay? and i remember, yeah, it was great, you done well, kid. how many people you've been watching 30 years of our lives he was kind enough to introduce himself, wasn't into all the hollywood aura around him, just seemed like the kind of person you could sit down maybe at a

central perk coffee shop and just talk, you know? >> absolutely. i have to tell you, i have interviewed just about everybody in this business and that isn't typical. you would think to introduce yourself would just happen but it really doesn't all the time. when these stars are on these press junkets as we call them, when they're doing 30 interviews in a day, a lot of it is very cut andriy. i think from your experience what i would take away from that how human he was. he never got too big. he always thought of himself as a normal person who happened to be on television. you bring up some of his dating history, i think it's fun to bring up some of these memories he has spoken about. i was going back and reading some of his book, in his memoir, by the way, laura, so erie just about one year ago to the day, it's october 28th right now.

his memoir came out november 1st, so tragic he is gone now just a year after he wrote that. i was going back and he spoke about how he dated julia roberts for a bit. there is a quote in there i want to read to you, something matthew perry wrote, he spoke about he broke up with her, nothing was wrong but he basically preemptively broke up with julia roberts. i was not enough, i kwan never be enough. i was broken, bent, unlovable. instead of facing the inevitable idea of losing her i broke up with the brilliant and beautiful julia roberts. that shows you also the demons he was facing. this is the height of his fame, starring on "friends," dating julia roberts but he himself felt so broken inside, had issues with his confidence. the fact he came out to say this in his memoir i think shows he

was just a human being. rich and famous, sure, but i think a lot of people can relate to him he didn't always feel all that. >> as you say, could he be any more chandler? i was going through and looking at the lines friends and i are texting back and forth about the moments of chandler and ross saying, i went to that tanning place your wife suggested and chandler, was that place the sun? the way he delivered a line, kind of the way bee arthur, i'm telling my age, on my favorite show, "gold girls" he would have a witty response to demonstrate the person talking to him was not the sharpest tool in the shed get it came across not as cruel as you make yourself laugh at yourself in that moment. you make a great point about the memoirs in particular because he

goes into extraordinary detail about the battle. he would talk about times he would go to houses in los angeles and hollywood just to be able to raid the medicine cabinets in a hope of finding any sort of drugs you could actually use and people would never suspect a thing because, chandler bing would not have done this. he knew how he was perceived instead of that addiction. you think about -- you've interviewed so many stars and actors and artists across the globe, some really resent being attached to a particular project, they feel pigeon holed. they don't want to always be associated with what made them as famous as they are, want to be seen more broadly. it seemed he always embraced the fact he was chandler bing to you. >> absolutely. that's a great point.

you do hear people talk about being typecast and stuck in this role and nobody could see them any other way. you never really heard him say that. if you look at the entire cast of "friends" they really embraced that show. they know what this means to viewers around the world and what it means to them and their careers. we just saw them get together for that major reunion, seeing them come together was something. something every entertainment reporting including myself, had been reporting on for years and years. when will there be a reboot. when they finally got together, it jumped off the screen, they were a family, not just on-screen, off screen, too. matthew perry was grateful for this role and he wrote in his book the reason he was coming forward with his struggles was to help people.

he knows how much he and the charts of chandler bing reached people and came into their home, talking multiple generations. watching the show. kids today are discovering the show on streaming. this is a series that will go on forever, his legacy will continue forever, people will continue to discover his talent around the world. that is not something you can say for any star or television show, matthew perry is in a different category and different stratosphere when it comes to television icons, really. >> you're so right. i'm wondering how his costars across not only television, film, "fools rush in" with selma hayek and "the good wife." we remember him from "friends."

it must be such a shock especially with the brave unbelievable candor he displayed and how relatable he was even with what is afflicting so many people across this country, in the battle of addiction, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> the reaction is coming in to the breaking news, the death of matthew perry, the popular actor of the '90s sitcom, "friends."

we're back now with the breaking news tonight from hollywood, actor matthew perry, dead at 54 years old. the "l.a. times" says perry was found at a hot tub in his home in los angeles. a cause of death has not been released. perry actually released a memoir just last year titled "friends, lovers and the big terrible thing," that terrible thing being his years of addiction to drugs and alcohol. perry last year told diane sawyer he was very open in his struggles in the hope he could help others. >> your disease is outside, just doing one arm push-ups is just waiting for you, waiting to get you alone.

because alone you lose to the disease. and now i finally feel okay, i feel like i have some strength. >> what does it mean to feel okay? >> it means i've developed some safety nets around this, you know. for some reason it's obviously because i was on "friends" more people will listen to me. so i've got to take advantage of that. i've got to help as many people as i can. >> using the platform for what would help people. as we continue to share reaction to the death of matthew perry, we're getting more from melissa rivers in an exclusive statement to cnn. rivers says, i lost a dear friend from high school today, we were in high school plays together and even then he was the most talented guy in the room. of my very few happy memories from high school matthew was always a part of them. so sad. he will be missed, rest in

peace. >> i want to bring in senior tv features editor for variety. what are you hearing about what happened? >>, you know, unfortunately the details are still really really lacking, out of respect for his friends and family we hear are gathering at his house now. of course there are police on the scene and trying to figure out what the cause of death was. he was found unresponsive this afternoon in his hot tub according to l.a. police sources. right now that's all we know and we're monitoring social media, and everyone that knew him and wants to share these beautiful tributes, melissa rivers, and there are those on "friends" including maggie wheeler and you can't say the name chandler bing without this voice. the world will miss you, matthew

perry and joy you brought to so many in your short lifetime will live on. it is front to note the joy he brought will definitely live on. it's nice to see things on such a tragic night. >> you're so right. you think of all of the shows, the entire universe of shows people will watch and we have pop culture references, in the last five years and 30 years, and "friends" is quoted as quickly as anything else. the relationships there people are familiar with, it's still very popular even for people who are unplugged, still popular in streaming, his legacy as an actor and artist is really something people can't take for granted. >> that is so so true. it's a great way to look at it. he has had such an impact as an actor and comedian.

of course, "friends" is mentioned and no one could be chandler bing except for him. that's hard to think of a world that exists now. tv world and sitcom world is very different today. it doesn't exist where people are tuning in every single week to watch 30 million people turning on their tvs and welcome him into flair living room. he was, of course, on film. he was a really really big tv actor. a thing that comes along with being a tv star you really are welcomed into people's homes and people fell in love with him. they fell in love with chandler bing and also his character, joe, on the west series and many many things he popped up on, the odd couple. and what an actor he was with such amazing comedic timing.

it goes to show the most famous lines on "friends" were his. and his line of could i be more excited? that was what matthew perry brought and wasn't written in. it's a nice thing to think about. >> emily, could you be more right when it comes to describing matthew perry. people are thinking, what do you mean you have to wait a week for it to come on? it was just binge watching? >> no. you had to wait until friday night. you heard him talking to diane sawyer. he used the fact he knew how much his role and platform was really understood and, of course, relatable and used it to open up about addiction.

and his struggle with addiction because he believed it would one day help people. it came out almost a year to the date ago. >> yeah. i looked through the book a little bit. i picked up a copy immediately when it came out. one of the things he writes in the beginning, you may know me as another name, my name is matthew, i should be dead. i don't write this for being this way and if you have a hard time stopping using drugs or alcohol, you're not alone, you can stop because i did. he goes on to share how hard it was and how much he suffered for many many years. yet he still was able to go to work and make niece amazing shows and films and was able to

do that because of his friends and family and including the "friends" cast. he used that to help other people. that's rare to see that in hollywood. >> also he struggled request addiction, he says he was never under the influence when doing his forecast, on "friends" and actually acting, in fact, 9 was the only season out of all the 10 where he was substance-free and happened to be the one he was most proud of and best work. nominated for an enemy as well. what that struggle was like right under our eyes. thank you so much. the big news from hollywood tonight, actor matthew perry from the sitcom friends, is dead at 84 years old. i read it last year. it touched so manyny lives. baback in a momentnt.

we're back with the breaking news tonight, matthew perry, dead at the age of 54. he, of course, starred in the '90s sitcom so many people still watch today as chandler bing. there's so much support coming in for his artistry, for his work, for his friendship, all across hollywood, across social media, all across people like you and i who grew up watching him, still can watch it and reference all the lives and remember him as chandler bing. can he be any more chandler. actress octavius spencer wrote tonight i'm incredibly sad to

hear of matthew perry's passing today. his gift to the world will remain forever. sending love to matthew's family and costars and millions of fans around the world. actress blair wrote a letter saying my oldest boyfriend, all of us loved matthew perry and i did especially everyday. i loved him unconditionally and he me. i'm broken, brokenhearted. sweet dreams, mattie, sweet dreams. this came in from canadian prime minister justin trudeau. he writes quote matthew perry's passing is shocking and sad. i will never forget the schoolyard games we used to play and i know the people around the world will not forget the joy he brought them. thanks for all the laughs, matthew. you were loved and will be missed.

perry joked about the reports he once beat up justin trudeau when they were in elementary show together, in fact late night host colbert pressed him for what really happened there. >> now, who gets recognized more in canada? you or trudeau? >> i would say trudeau. there was a big rumor about us, that i beat him up in grade school. >> did you? >> i don't think so, no. >> but you're not entirely sure? >> no. my friends bryan murray and chris murray, who were the guys and myself who invented that weird way of talking, could it be colder in here? could it be colder in here? >> no. >> it's really cold. they told me i beat up justin trudeau and somehow he got the story and tweeted me and he wanted to like have a fight.

i said you have your own army. no thanks. >> every time he talks, you think to yourself and remember him and why it was so fun to watch and you waited to watch week after week what was going on. with me now is karen heller, for the washington post. it policeman seems odd. i'm sitting here thinking about a life if that's lost. so many people are remembering him with a smile, the costars, closed mouth, witty, yet mischievous and smug smile that characterized him. there is something about someone like him on air as long as he was, an iconic role, people can't help but reminiscence what he meant to their childhood and

teenagers and adulthood. >> this show was pure joy. what i, thinking about "friends"," for many years not a lot happened on "friends," you think about it. remember what a shock it was when they finally put chandler and monica together. you love the routines and little -- they got themselves into fixes, out of fixhs. we depended on them to have certain kinds of reactions. i remember how stunning it was, look at that, when they put the two together and how mortified and what are they going to tell the group and would it change the dynamics about it. that was the biggest thing on that show the writers and producers trying to look at the two of them together. >> "seinfeld," being a show about nothing. how often you have situational

comedies for "friends." they created a sense of what they thought it was like to live in new york, create a family out of friendships and having give-and-take and ross and monica and, of course, rachel and then joey and phoebe and her guitar in central park. you had a sense, one of them. instead of all we were seeing behind the scenes, he was really struggling with trying to land the jokes night after night. >> right. the clip you showed earlier of him on larry king. i looked that up. that is the one year he was sober. when he was talking to larry king, according to his book, that was the only time he was

not drinking and taking massive amounts of drugs. what's so moving about the loss is on the one hand there is all this joy, "friends," and his talent even though it was known on the cast about his using, he kept working, studio 60 on the sun set strip, the west wing, go on, the good wife. he did straight roles, too, on the west wing. he was in this elite group of six yet he was separate. he was the one that struggled so. it's epic to read about this. the book i think was as much therapy for him, going on this tour he talked so openly about the pain and damage. i didn't spend that much time with him. it was like a therapy session.

he said he could have mader five or six women and couldn't commit and wasn't worthy of them. he had to pay someone to live with him because he was worried about using. he said he's scared to be alone and telling me this, a stranger. i have a never ending need for attention. it's never the right kind of attention. it didn't fix the hole in me. that is also rare for somebody to be that honest. i think he saw the book as a way to fix him and relaunch himself. he was hoping possibly that the memoir would be made into a television movie. he hoped to get more work from it. he wanted to share his experience and help people. i also think it was extremely therapeutic for him.

>> thank you soy much. that book came out a year ago this week. unbelievable to think how precious it was. yeah. we want to take a moment to remember matthew perry for the laughs he brought to see many. take a look from this moment, from "friends" that showed that special relationship between chandler and joey. >> where's my underwear? >> whoa, whoa, come on, you took his underwear? >> he took my essence. >> joey, why can't you wear the underwear you're wearing now? >> because i'm not wearing any underwear now. >> then why do you have to wear underwear tonight? >> it's a rented tux. i'm not going commando in somebody's things. >> it looks like somebody has to give back their cushions.

>> you had my clothes, i will do the exact opposite to you. >> what, are you going to show me my clothes? >> opposite is op sypt. is opposite. >> he's got nothing! >> okay, buddy boy, here it is. you hide my clothes, i'm wearing everything you own. >> oh, my god! that is so not the opposite of taking somebody's underwear. >> look at me, i'm chandler. could i be wearing any more clothes? >> maybe if i wasn't going commando -- >> ooh. >> yeah. i will tell you it's hot with all this stuff on. i better not do any i don't know, lunges. >> okay. enough of the lunging. i'm sick of this.

i have had it up to here with you two. neither of you can come to the party. >> what a baby. >> we're back in a moment. to duckduckgo on all your devie

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plus, ask how to get an $800 prepaid card with a qualifying internet bundle. comcast business, powering possibilities. we're back now with our breaking news tonight. matthew perry who played the beloved chandler bing on the sitcom, "friends," has died at the age of 54. he was just 54 years old. as you remember his life and legacy you also remember how own he was about his struggles with addiction and alcohol, especially in his memoir. here he is on "the view" last november talking about his past struggles. >> the highs and lows for me were unbelievable. i'm really grateful for the good things that happened to me. a lot of bad things happened, few. that means you can help more

people. when i went to the first -- adding this in, when i went to the first treatment center i had no idea what was going on. a doctor i had a meeting with a doctor and as i was walking out, just remember this isn't your fault. i went, what? say that again. he explained it was a disease. i had no idea. it made me feel better, i had this disease and had to fight it. that's the evidence things are going well is i put out this book. >> unbelievably poignant and resonating with so and about this experience he still wanted people to feel help going through similar experiences. camilla, what more do we know

about matt new perry's death dith. >> we are learning los angeles police officers are investigating his death right now. they did respond to his home at los angeles and the 911 call came in at 4:07 p.m. and responded to a water emergency. the l.a. "times" reported this was an accident and that no foul play is suspected in his death but, of course, it is shocking and sad for many here in hollywood and fans after learning of his death at 54 years old. he started his acting career as a teenager with small roles,

eventually landed bigger more prominent roles and later on landed the "friends" role as chandler and made him famous as people still to this day are watching replays and the way he makes you laugh, his jokes, one-liners, official the facial expressions. making the show better. these are friends on and off screen negotiating their tv salaries together. at the time were some of the highest paid at the time. it was the members and cast that helped him with his struggles. he wrote about it in his book but he wanted to help people, laura.

thank you so much. we can't imagine what those closest to him must be feeling as so many of us are reeling thinking about somebody we believe to be the quintessential friend in our head. but to those who knew and loved him, matthew perry. we're back in a moment.

tracking news from hollywood tonight. "friends" star matthew perry found dead this afternoon. "the new york times" reports he was found dead in a hot tub at his home in los angeles. they did not site a cause of death and sources said no drugs were found at the scene and foul play was not suspected. before we go tonight we remember perry for what he did best, make us laugh, make us smile. here's a clip from "friends" where chandler and rachel have to help ross in, well, a rather tight squeeze. >> chandler, you brought chandler. the next best thing would be monica. >> you know, i would be offended but monica is freakishly strong so -- >> i drew a sketch of how we're going to do it okay, rach?

that's you, that's the couch. >> ooh, what's that? >> that's me. >> wow. certainly think a lot of yourself. >> no, that's -- that's my arm. >> oh, i see. i thought you just really, really liked your new couch. >> you know, just -- just follow my lead. >> okay. >> come on, joey. >> here we go. >> all right, ready? turn. >> okay. >> turn, turn, turn. >> i don't think we can turn anymore. >> i just don't think it's going to fit. >> come on up. up, up, up. >> yes, here we go.

>> tip it. tip it. >> shut up. shut up. shut up. >> okay, i don't think it's going to pivot anymore. >> you think. >> i want to leave you tonight with the last words he wrote in his memoir. they're revery poignant. he said i never gave up. i never raised my hands and said that's enough, i can't take it anymore, you win. and because of that, i stand tall now ready for what comes next. i'm laura coates. good night, friends.