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Manhattan | Culture > News

Remembering Matthew Perry

Grace Cardinal Student Contributor, Manhattan College
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Manhattan chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Could we be any more sad?

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, Matthew Perry, a beloved star of the hit TV sitcom Friends, was found unresponsive in a hot tub in his Pacific Palisades home. Immediately, as news of his death hit the internet, fans worldwide were shocked. TikTok, Instagram, and major news channels became flooded with memorials and videos of iconic Matthew Perry moments. 

While Perry was widely loved for his character Chandler Bing on Friends, he had many other notable achievements in his life. Aside from his acting career and his notorious love for the Batman franchise, Perry created the Perry House for recovering addicts, as he was himself. The organization was created in 2013 and closed two years later.

In his honor, the Perry family created the Matthew Perry Foundation, an organization aiming to fulfill the same goal as Perry envisioned with the Perry House. 

According to the foundation’s mission statement, “The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction. It will honor his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.”

Perry also released a memoir about his life in late 2022, titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, depicting his struggle with addiction and his time on Friends.

In his book, Perry wrote “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”

Fans, old castmates, and the entirety of Hollywood grieved publicly on social media, comparing Perry’s death to that of an old friend. Perry’s character on Friends had a significant impact on many worldwide, with fans spanning across multiple generations. Those who had the opportunity to meet him unanimously agreed on his natural charisma and kind heart. 

The Friends cast released a group statement in response to the heartbreaking news, saying “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.” (via The New York Times). It is reported that the cast was in attendance at his funeral on Friday, according to People magazine. 

In his memoir, Perry noted, “It is very odd to live in a world where if you died, it would shock people but surprise no one.”

He had no idea just how wrong he was. 

Rest in peace, Matthew Perry. 

Grace Cardinal

Manhattan '26

Grace Cardinal is the Social Media Director of Her Campus at Manhattan University. She loves designing Instagram posts on Canva to promote her team's work and creating short-form videos that get campus engaged with the HC community.

Apart from Her Campus, Grace works as the Editor-in-Chief of The Quadrangle student newspaper and as the Lifestyle and Opinions Editor for the fashion magazine on campus, Lotus. She is currently a senior, graduating in December 2025, and is majoring in communication with a minor in political science.

Over the summer, Grace worked as a Commerce Intern with Shop TODAY at NBC News. Previously, she worked as a News Intern with Decider at the New York Post. After graduation, Grace plans to stay in NYC and hopes to work as a political reporter at a national newsroom.

In her free time, Grace dances as a company member at DanceWorks NYC. She enjoys grabbing coffee and dinner with her friends around the city, and attends as many broadway shows as possible.