Matthew Perry Detailed How He Would Want to Be Remembered a Year Before His Death at 54: Watch
“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want [helping people] to be the first thing that’s mentioned,” the actor said in November 2022
Matthew Perry detailed how he would want to be remembered during an interview that took place a year before his death.
While speaking on the Q with Tom Power podcast in 2022 to promote his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the Friends star was asked about the legacy he would want to leave behind after his death.
“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker,” Perry told host Tom Power at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto at the time.
“And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people,” the late star added. “That’s what I want.”
“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 can say yes and follow up and do it,” he said. “When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
That sentiment was echoed in Perry’s cover story with PEOPLE in October 2022, where the actor shared the things for which he gives himself credit. They included, “caring about others, for never giving up. Helping people as much as I do.”
He added: “That’s probably my favorite thing about myself. Being creative, seeing, learning that if you’re uncomfortable or feeling anxiety, one of the ways to get out of that situation is to be creative.”
Perry was found dead at a Los Angeles-area home on Saturday, TMZ reported. The outlet stated that the actor was found in a jacuzzi at the residence and, per their sources, first responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest.
No drugs were found at the scene and no foul play was reported, TMZ added.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson also told PEOPLE on Saturday that officers responded to a call at Perry’s address regarding the death of a male in his 50s, though authorities would not confirm the deceased’s identity.
Following his death, a statement was issued from Warner Bros. about the beloved actor: “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group 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 heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”
At another point during his Q with Tom Power podcast appearance, Perry spoke about the heartbreaking reason why he could not bring himself to watch his breakout role as Chandler Bing on Friends.
Explaining that he could tell “season by season” the stage he was at in his drug and alcohol addiction, the actor detailed, “I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go drinking … opiates … drinking … cocaine. Like I could tell season by season by how I looked.”
