Matthew Perry was spotted out to dinner with a friend last Saturday, October 21, in what appears to be the last public outing of the actor captured on camera.
Perry and his male friend had just stopped by to eat at the Apple Pan on W Pico Blvd, which is famous for its hamburgers and pies since its founding in 1947.
The Friends icon’s greying hair looked slightly disheveled, while dressed in black sweat pants and a green t-shirt, when he came walking out of the establishment with a drink in one hand.
He also was wearing unlaced white Converse sneakers and dark sunglasses as he made his way out seemingly back to his parked vehicle.
The entertainer, who will forever be remembered as Chandler Bing on the legendary sitcom Friends, has died in an apparent drowning accident on Saturday.
Last public outing: Matthew Perry was spotted out to dinner with a friend last Saturday, October 21, in what appears to be the last public outing of the actor captured on camera
The Williamstown, Massachusetts native, whose television debut dates back to 1979, was 54.
During his last outing, his friend was to his left carrying a small bag, likely his leftovers, in one hand and a drink in the other.
Perry appeared to be directing his buddy by pointing in a certain direction by the time they had made it outside close to the sidewalk.
Authorities responded to a call around 4 p.m. when he was discovered to be unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, and was then pronounced dead at the scene.
Although he was open about his past struggles with addiction, sources said no drugs were discovered at the scene of his death, and a friend who spoke to him recently told .com he ‘sounded sober and positive.’
Law enforcement sources said Matthew was found on Saturday, after first responders were called to the scene for a cardiac arrest.
In his last post to his Instagram, shared earlier this week, the star shared images of him in his pool, saying: ‘Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.’
The television star had been riding high since releasing his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.
The Friends icon’s greying hair looked slightly disheveled, while dressed in black sweat pants and a green t-shirt, when he came walking out of the establishment with a drink in one hand
RIP: Perry had been very open about his struggles with alcohol and drugs in interviews and in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing
In telling his story, he shared about his lifelong struggles with alcohol and drugs, which led to multiple stints in rehab and a number of serious health issues.
He endured a five-month hospitalization in 2018 following a colon rupture that left him with just a two percent chance to live through the night, Perry confessed in the memoir.
Perry estimated that he had relapsed ’60 or 70 times’ since first getting sober back in 2001, which was during the back end of his 10 season run on NBC’s Friends.
Perry has been candid publicly about his problems with drugs and alcohol, having first went to rehab in 1997 for what was said to a pain medication addiction after a jet skiing accident.
Following this initial stint, he then went to rehab again in 2001 and 2011. He told an interviewer in 2016 that he doesn’t remember filming three seasons of Friends.
A longtime friend of Perry’s – who was in recovery with him – told .com: ‘Everyone is in a total state of shock. People are crying on the phone and struggling to accept this news.
‘It’s no secret that he struggled with drugs and alcohol for years but the last time I spoke to him, which was within the last few weeks, he seemed to be in a good place.
‘He was upbeat and sounded sober and positive.
Perry has died aged 54 ‘after drowning in his jacuzzi at home,’ sources have told .com; seen in 2022
In his last post to his Instagram, posted earlier this week, the star shared images of him in his pool
The actor rose to fame for his role as ‘Chandler Bing’ on the hit 90s sitcom Friends, which ran for 10 seasons
‘He’d been to rehab 17 times and nearly died from opioid abuse but he was someone who was sincere about taking his life, and his sobriety, one day at a time.
‘It’s such tragic news. Everyone is praying he didn’t relapse. Matt was a genuinely lovely guy. He was always the first to welcome newcomers to the group and would always volunteer to help and be of service.
‘We are all struggling to come to terms with this terrible news.’
Despite his issues with addiction, the former child star continued to consistently work mostly in television that included guest starring roles in The West Wing (2003), Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (2006-2007), Mr. Sunshine (2011), The Good Wife (2012-2013), Go On 2012-2013) and The Odd Couple (2015-2017).
He also had a few popular film roles such as Fools Rush In (1997), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), The Whole Ten Yards (2004).
When asked how he liked to be remembered Perry told The Times this past April: ‘As a guy who lived life, loved well, lived well, and helped people. That running into me was a good thing, and not something bad.’