A foundation has been established in the name of late Friends star Matthew Perry to help people dealing with addiction.
The Emmy-nominated star often spoke frankly about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which grew worse under the “white-hot flame of fame” that occurred when he shot to global recognition as the sarcastic Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom.
The foundation, which is now accepting donations, cited Perry’s desire to be remembered as someone who helped others with substance abuse even more than his sitcom stardom.
“In the spirit of Matthew Perry’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction, we embark on a journey to honor his legacy by establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation, guided by his own words and experiences, and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible,” said an inaugural statement establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation on Friday.
The foundation will be maintained by the National Philanthropic Trust. No further details on the organisation were immediately released.
Last year, while promoting his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor admitted that he hoped he would be remembered for his outreach work, rather than his time on the hit sitcom.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life but 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 will 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.’ So I do that, whenever I can. In groups, or one on one,” Perry told podcast host Tom Power.
Matthew Perry was a prominent voice for recovering drug addicts
(PA Archive)
In his book, Perry recalled drinking heavily through the first two seasons of Friends, although he said he was never drunk or high on set, and then becoming addicted to the opiate pain medication Vicodin after a jet ski accident while filming Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek in 1996.
By the end of the 10th series of Friends, Perry became “entrenched in a lot of trouble”, he revealed years later.
Perry, who starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons on NBC’s Friends, was declared dead aged 54 after paramedics found him unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on 28 October. Authorities are still investigating the cause.
He was laid to rest at a Los Angeles cemetery yesterday (Friday 3 November) in a service attended by his Friends castmates and relatives including his father and stepfather.
All five Friends stars were present at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles, TMZ reported.
Matthew Perry with his ‘Friends’ co-stars in 2002
(AP2002)
“Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love,” Perry’s family said in a statement following the news of his death.
The Friends stars also released a joint statement, writing: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
“In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Additional reporting by Associated Press
