Following the heartbreaking news that Matthew Perry has passed away at the age of 54, the actor's past comments about his death have resurfaced.
Over the weekend, it was confirmed that the beloved Friends star had died after being found by first responders unresponsive at his Los Angeles home. The Los Angeles Times reports that authorities arrived at the actor's home at around 4:00PM on Saturday, October 28, where Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub.
No official cause of death has been provided at this time, but law enforcement sources did tell the LA Times that no drugs were found at the scene and that it is believed that no foul play was involved in the star's passing.
Warner Bros. Television Group - the company that produced Friends over its 10 seasons - paid tribute to Perry in a statement. "We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry," the statement read, adding: "Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family.
"The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans."
Despite being widely known and adored by fans for his portrayal of the hilarious Chandler Bing in Friends, Perry's life off-screen was full of many personal struggles.
The actor often spoke out about his battles with addiction and alcoholism, while promoting the release of his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing last year, Perry revealed just how close he came to dying.
In an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer last October, Perry revealed that - at his worst - he was taking "55 Vicodin a day", as well as a cocktail of "Methadone, Xanax, a full quart of vodka". He later revealed in another interview that he spent "$9 million or something trying to get sober".
While promoting his book, Perry also made a series of heartbreaking comments about how he believed people would respond if he died.
Speaking to PEOPLE last year, Perry touched on his battle with addiction, saying: "I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn't surprise anybody. And that's a very scary thing to be living with."
But, overall, Perry revealed that he was sharing his story in an attempt to help others, adding: "My hope is that people will relate to it, and know that this disease attacks everybody. It doesn't matter if you're successful or not successful, the disease doesn't care."
Elsewhere in the interview, Perry highlighted the importance of sobriety, explaining: "If you don't have sobriety, you're going to lose everything that you put in front of it."
And after celebrating 18 months sober at the time of the interview, the Friends star spoke about his gratitude for life, adding: "I'm an extremely grateful guy. I'm grateful to be alive, that's for sure. And that gives me the possibility to do anything."
A quick scroll through social media right now proves that Perry sharing his story certainly did help a lot of people.
Our thoughts continue to go out to Perry's family, friends, and fans at this time.
