Rest in Peace Matthew Perry

 

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I have never met Matthew Perry, and yet I was greatly saddened by the news that he died yesterday.  Perhaps it is illogical, but performers have a way of creating a strong emotional bond with their audience.  And it was the same with Perry.

When 9/11 happened, like most people I was filled with horror, shock, and disbelief.  As the hours dragged on, my family and I were gathered around the television set, desperate for news, overwhelmed by every report.  As evening wore on and it seemed like there would be no more attacks that day, we all felt emotionally drained.  

It was then that we decided to put in a DVD of Friends.

This may not have been the most rational response, but we wanted a brief escape from what we were feeling.  And for a few hours, the laughs were like a balm on the burning hot pain of the day.  

And a lot of that had to do with Perry.

I first remember seeing Perry as a guest star on Growing Pains, where his shocking death hit me in the gut.  It is strange how art imitates life.

He had been in other projects here and there, but it was Friends that put him on the map.  His Chandler Bing was the best part of the show.  Yes, people were very early on invested in the Ross and Rachel romance.  But it was Perry's wit and delivery that anchored the entire series.  You may make the argument that the show promoted a general sense of immorality.  I would not argue the point with you.  But I can tell you that my connection to the show was emotional rather than ethical.  If you find fault with this, I offer no defense.  I can only offer this: Matthew Perry made me laugh.

Like his other castmates, he tried to break into the movies with limited success in films like The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis.  This was an odd movie that worked so well because it felt so close to being a thriller.  

One of his bombs was Three to Tango, a movie I saw three times in the theater.  While most people were turned off by the movie, I thought Perry showed really leading-man charm while making me laugh the entire time.  When you love a movie that most people hate, you feel a stronger bond to it than most.

Perry's range as an actor could be seen in his few dramatic roles.  His stints on The West Wing portended a potentially bright future as a dramatic actor.  You could see this as well in the ill-fated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a drama about comedy where the writing wasn't funny.  Perry could play the drama pitch perfectly.

However, his addiction to drugs cast a shadow on his life.  Like Chris Farley (with whom he starred in Almost Heroes), Perry's addictions took over everything.  He claimed he has no memory of Friends seasons 3-6 because of the drugs.  He also has said that he spent $9 million dollars trying to get clean.  Back in 2018, Perry almost died and was in the hospital for five months.  Despite this, two years later, he was still trolling for drugs.  

The drugs robbed Perry of much of his life's joy, his health, and I believe ultimately his life.  As of this writing, Perry is stated to have drowned in his hot tub.  There is no mention yet of drugs.  Even still, the ravages on his body from the addiction may have contributed.

Perry acknowledged that Friends would probably be his most remembered legacy.  But he hoped he would be remembered primarily for the way he tried to help those with addiction.  He said he would always help any addict in any way he could.  He even gave up his Malibu home to become a home for men recovering from addiction.  He said:

 "When I die, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won't happen, but it would be nice."

There is something sad and beautiful about this realization.  It reminds me of the 15th Century morality play Everyman, in which a man faces death and comes to realize that the only thing that he can take with him to the grave are his good deeds.  It seems like Perry came to this same realization.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.  May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen

Matthew Perry, rest in peace.