Remembering Matthew Perry, how he wanted to be.

After the sad death of Friends star Matthew Perry at the weekend, fans have been sharing the actor’s own comments about how he wanted to be remembered when he was gone.  

Perry, who was best known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the hit TV series Friends died on Saturday, at the age of 54. 

He was enormously successful as an actor, but he was honest about his demons and his struggle to fight addiction. He described himself as a "ready-made, just-add-water addict," having his first drink at the age of 14. In 1997, when he was at the height of his fame, he was in a jet ski accident, that led him to become addicted to painkillers. He struggled for years with his addictions and went to rehab in 2001. 

Instead of taking advantage of what would probably be the easier option and using his money and retreating from the rest of the world, Perry used his own experiences to help others. He was never afraid to talk about addiction, and he worked hard to create support systems for those in need, even if at times, it must have been personally painful.  

In a 2022 interview promoting his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he said: "I've had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I'm still working through it personally, but the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, 'will you help me?' I always say, 'yes, I know how to do that. I will do that for you, even if I can't always do it for myself’."   

In 2013, Perry transformed his former Malibu home into the Perry House, a sober-living facility for men, showing his dedication and commitment to helping others.  

Friends catapulted Perry to international fame, but he also won an Emmy nomination for his role as White House lawyer Joe Quincy in The West Wing, and appeared in The Good Wife and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as in films including 17 Again, and Fools Rush In. 

In 2016, he wrote and starred in a semi-autobiographical play called The End of Longing, which ran in the West End and on Broadway to much critical acclaim. 

But he wanted to be remembered for more than his on-screen persona, Emmy nominations and professional achievements. 

“When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web...” he wrote in his book. 

“But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try and help other people." 

We feel this is a fitting legacy and are pretty sure that if his story helps one person find the help they need, he would be happy with that. 

If you, or a loved one are struggling with addiction, please reach out to a friend, loved one, or professional.