Matthew Perry’s family open up about death of ‘Friends’ star
The stepfather of late Friends actor Matthew Perry and Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison has opened up about the star’s death, explaining that he felt Perry was overcoming his addiction battle in the months leading up to his tragic death last October.
Morrison, who married Perry’s mother in 1981, detailed the unfairness of his death and how it has impacted the family.
Describing the despair and grief to Hoda Kotb during an episode of her Making Space podcast, Morrison said the actor “felt like he was beating” his substance abuse, despite understanding the difficulties of improving physical and mental health.
Morrison added that his grief is “with you every day,” describing it as something that “assaults your brain.”
Perry, who suffered a lifelong struggle with alcoholism and drug misuse, passed away due to the “acute effects” of ketamine last year, with the autopsy report also citing coronary artery disease, drowning, and opioids as significant contributing factors.
According to his stepfather, he “didn’t get to have his third act, and that’s not fair.” Perry was taking ketamine treatment at the time as a way of coping with depression and anxiety, and hadn’t taken drugs recreationally for almost two years before his death.
Despite the undeniable tragedy surrounding his death, Morrison continues to remember Perry as someone whose presence could be felt anywhere, a “larger-than-life” character whose memory will live on both in the intimacy of those who knew him well alongside the countless lives he touched on-screen.
His stepfather shared details about Perry’s close relationship with his mother, claiming the late actor texted significantly and shared personal facets most would avoid telling their parents. Perry also remained in close contact with some of his fellow Friends cast members, particularly Jennifer Aniston, who was among the many sharing heartfelt tributes after his death.
Although the pinnacle of Perry’s fame was his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, he spoke openly about how he wanted to be remembered, referencing his desire to help people as the main driving force behind everything he did. “I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker. And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want,” he told Tom Power podcast in 2022.
Perry brought laughter into the homes of many, but he also made people feel less alone in their own personal struggles. Through his acting roles and authenticity in interviews and in his memoir, he succeeded in bridging the gap between seemingly taboo topics and the humans behind them, making conversations about such issues commonplace and encouraging greater understanding for those suffering with addiction.
Listen to Morrison on Making Space below.
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