Matthew Perry, star of “Friends,” dies at age 54

Acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, best known for the long-running sitcom “Friends,” has died at age 54.

Perry was found deceased at a home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles after police responded to a 911 call for a water rescue Saturday afternoon, an LAPD watch commander confirmed to CBS Los Angeles station KCAL News. Perry’s death was first reported by TMZ. 

Perry rose to fame with his iconic role as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” beloved for his eccentric mannerisms and quirky personality, quickly becoming a fan favorite on the show that ran for 10 seasons. 

“It’s great, it’s a wonderful time in my life,” he told CBS News of his time on “Friends” in a 2015 interview. “People come up to me that I know were not born when we shot the show, for sure. And they’re just surprised at how elderly I look.”

The role earned him a Emmy nomination in 2002 for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. 

Perry also starred in a number of other television shows and movies, including “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Growing Pains,” “Ally McBeal,” “17 Again,” “The Whole Nine Yards,” “The West Wing” and a reboot of “The Odd Couple.”

He received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his role in “The Ron Clark Story” miniseries in 2007.

In a memoir released last year, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry opened up about his substance abuse struggles and his career. He repeatedly went to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse.

“I think that people don’t understand that it’s a disease,” he told CBS News in 2015 about the misconceptions surrounding addiction. “It was declared a disease in 1955 by the American Medical Association. And even people who are in trouble with this thing don’t kind of realize that they are suffering from a disease. So they sort of blame themselves. So it’s important to get it out there, and not be a secret, so you can get the help that you need.”