A Matthew Perry tribute now starts every ‘Friends’ season on Max after actor’s death
HBO’s streaming platform Max is paying its respects to “Friends” star Matthew Perry, who died in his Los Angeles home Saturday.
Perry, who gained popularity for his portrayal of wise-cracking Chandler Bing, has been memorialized at the beginning of each “Friends” season streaming on Max. When “Friends” viewers click on the first episode of any of the 10 available seasons, they will see a brief tribute that reads, “In Memory of Matthew Perry.”
The notice also features the actor’s headshot and the years of his birth and death, 1969 and 2023. The Perry tribute also appears at the beginning of Max’s 2021 reunion special, “Friends: The Reunion.”
Authorities found Perry unresponsive in his Los Angeles home Saturday. There was no sign of foul play.
On Saturday, authorities responded to Perry’s Pacific Palisades home, where he was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub. He was 54.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Scot Williams told The Times on Saturday that the “cause of death may not be known for some time, but at this point foul play is not suspected.” His cause of death was deferred, pending investigation.
Tributes to Perry poured in shortly after news of his death broke. Among the networks, celebrities and platforms remembering the actor, Max shared a photo of a young Perry on its social media pages.
“We are truly saddened to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing,” the streaming platform wrote on X and Instagram. “We extend our condolences to his family, loved ones, and fans.”
The ‘Friends’ actor, who died Saturday at 54, was a ninja of sarcasm — and his peerless blend of resilience and vulnerability made him a star we could all root for.
NBC, which originally aired “Friends” from 1994 to 2004, remembered how Perry “brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit.”
The statement continued: “His legacy will live on through countless generations.”
Sharing tributes to Perry over the weekend were stars Selma Blair, Paget Brewster, Morgan Fairchild and Mira Sorvino. His “Friends” co-stars had not publicly addressed Perry’s death as of Monday morning.
“Friends” skyrocketed Perry to stardom, but his legacy also includes his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” Released in 2022, the book recounts his decades-long struggles with addiction and his recovery efforts.
Amid news of his death, readers shared the impact that Perry’s book had on their lives. Actor Eric Lange posted on X that Perry “used his platform to openly share his struggles with the world in the hopes it might help others. It helped me.”
People in recovery found strength and hope in Matthew Perry’s book about addiction. For many, it’s the memoir that ‘helped keep me sober.’
In April, Perry appeared at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to discuss his book. He said he wanted to be remembered “as a guy who lived life, loved well, lived well and helped people.”
He added: “That running into me was a good thing, and not something bad.”
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