Remembering Matthew Perry

 The One When We Lost A Friend...

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,”- Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

The outpouring of grief over the death of "Friends" alum, Matthew Perry last month is more than enough to know how much he was loved by his family, colleagues and fans. An actor and writer whose battle with addiction did not lessen him in the eyes of those who knew him, Matthew Perry did not want to be remembered only as his iconic "Friends"  character, Chandler Bing. And he won't be. 

Perry's career spanned several decades after he switched a tennis career to acting. One of his earlier roles was a guest appearance in "Growing Pains" as Carol Seaver's boyfriend, whose ultimate fate in the episode 'Second Chance' highlighted the dangers of drunk driving. He appeared as Ted Kennedy in "The Kennedys: After Camelot" and as an idealistic teacher in "The Ron Clark Story", who refused to give up on the insolent children under his care. He also had several roles, notably "Three To Tango", "Only Fools Rush In", "The Whole Nine Yards", and its sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards", "Numb", and "17 Again". 

His memoir " Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" revealed his long battle with addiction and behind-the-scenes going on in "Friends", which garnered more sympathy towards his plight and further humanised him. He never sugarcoated his issues and was publicly vocal about people also battling with addiction receiving aid. 

Matthew Perry was a troubled but talented and giving soul and he will always be fondly remembered. 

Rest in peace, dear Marty 💞