- Matt Manasse, 35, teaches pickleball at Riviera Country Club, a private club in Pacific Palisades near Matthew Perry’s home
- Perry, 54, played at the club for two hours on Saturday morning: he returned home after the match and at 4.10pm his assistant found him dead in the jacuzzi
- Manasseh said Perry was fun, competitive and “just a good guy” who always wanted to help people
Matthew Perry’s pickleball coach has paid tribute to the late actor, who died hours after playing the sport at his local club in Los Angeles.
Perry, 54, spent Saturday morning at the Riviera Country Club, a private members club in Pacific Palisades, near his home.
He returned home and got into the hot tub. At 4:10 p.m., his assistant called 911 to say she had found him unconscious in the water.
Perry’s coach Matt Manasse, 35, said he played pickleball five times a week and found the sport kept him sober.
“He thought it was something that could help with his recovery and he did a great job,” Manasseh said. speaking to people.
‘He loved it. He came out five times a week and always talked about it. (He) got so much better, always made everyone laugh. He was competitive, just a genuine good guy who looked out for everyone.”
Matt Manasse, a pickleball coach, and his student Matthew Perry are photographed together in April. They met two years ago and Manasseh said Perry was selfless, fun and kind
Perry is pictured watching the US Open tennis on September 10 last year
Perry was a regular at the Riviera County Club, pictured
The club was not far from Perry’s Pacific Palisades home
Manasse, who has taught Emma Watson, Matthew McConaughey and Wyclef Jean, said Perry “did really well.”
He was not at the club on Saturday morning and last spoke to the actor a week ago.
The coach considered Perry a friend and the Friends actor invited him to his house to watch the Super Bowl. Perry supported Manasseh’s efforts to spread the sport’s popularity.
Perry told him, Manasseh said, “Whatever you need. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.’
“When I first started playing pickleball (with him), it was just Matthew and (me). And then we would get other people involved,” Manasseh said.
“Pickleball was his outlet. He was really looking forward to it. He was a competitive guy, not in a bad way at all. He loved it. He wanted to come out. He wanted to win. He loved it. If he hit an incredible shot, he would tell you about it for days.”
Manasseh is pictured with Emma Watson in November 2022
Manasseh with tennis great John McEnroe on October 14
The pickleball coach is seen (left) with Matthew McConaughey and pickleball player Roscoe Bellamy (right)
Manasseh said the game was therapeutic for Perry and he used it as an outlet to maintain his sobriety.
“He had so much going on with his rehab center and trying to get people clean,” Manasseh said.
“He would take them and teach them pickleball. He was just always trying to help people.”
‘That was just the kind of man he was.
‘We went to eat together. I was at his house for the Super Bowl. He cared about other people. He was a very good person.’
Manasseh said Perry was “selfless” and always looking out for others.
“He cared about everyone; your day was better when you saw him or when he called,” he said.
“He never missed an opportunity to make a funny joke to make you laugh.” Just a truly wonderful person. Everyone should know he had a heart of gold.”