Richard Wilkins has paid tribute to American actor Matthew Perry after his shock death on Saturday at the age of 54.
Perry was found in his Los Angeles home on Saturday after first responders were called to the scene for cardiac arrest around 4pm PDT.
Sources said he was found in a jacuzzi at the house, but no drugs were discovered at the scene – and there was no evidence of foul play.
‘It’s just very sad. He was way too young to go,” Wilkins said 9Honey on Sunday, noting that Perry’s death is one that “hits home” as, thanks to his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, he was “so much a part of our lives.”
“Friends was one of those appointment-watching shows and we all watched it… it was so compelling,” Wilkins continued.
Matthew Perry’s shocking death at 54 has left the world without one of his best friends, says Today Show’s Richard Wilkins (pictured)
Perry (pictured) was found Saturday in his Los Angeles home after first responders were called to the scene of cardiac arrest around 4 p.m. PDT
“(The cast) were best friends, but they were also our friends.”
He said Perry led a “difficult life” full of challenges, including substance abuse and addiction, but despite this he “brought so much joy to all of us.”
Perry had reportedly played a two-hour game of Pickleball before his death, after which he sent his assistant out on an errand. When they returned, the deputy found Perry unresponsive and called 911.
He rose to fame in his role as ‘Chandler Bing’ on the hit ’90s sitcom Friends, which ran for ten seasons, and has spoken openly about his struggle to overcome a decades-long drug and alcohol addiction.
‘It’s just very sad. He was way too young to go,” Wilkins told 9Honey on Sunday, noting that Perry’s death is one that “touches” because, thanks to his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, he was “so much a part of us was life’. Pictured with Julia Roberts on set
Sources said he was found in a jacuzzi at the house, but no drugs were discovered at the scene – and there was no evidence of foul play.
In his latest post to his Instagram, shared earlier this week, the star shared images of him in his pool and said: ‘Oh, so the warm water swirling makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.’
Perry has been publicly outspoken about his problems with drugs and alcohol after first entering rehab in 1997 for what was said to be an addiction to painkillers following a jet ski accident.
After this first period, he went to rehab again in 2001 and 2011. In 2016, he told an interviewer that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.
An old friend of Perry’s – who was recovering with him – told DailyMail.com: ‘Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news.”
Perry rose to fame for his role as ‘Chandler Bing’ on the hit ’90s sitcom Friends (pictured with the cast), which ran for ten seasons