What is the Matthew Perry Foundation? See how Friends actor is helping fight addiction even after death

Late actor Matthew Perry was widely known for playing the iconic character of Chandler Bing on the hit television series Friends. The 54-year-old actor tragically and suddenly passed away at home in Los Angeles. The actor was discovered dead on Saturday, October 28, 2023, somewhere after 4 p.m., according to reports. When 911 was called for a cardiac arrest, the responders discovered Perry in a jacuzzi.

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of addiction. Readers' discretion is advised.

Perry had been transparent about his long battles with alcohol and opiate addictions spanning several decades. In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which was published last year, the actor revealed how, at the height of his addiction, which was during his later years on the NBC sitcom, he was taking 55 Vicodin pills per day.

The Matthew Perry Foundation has been established in honor of his struggle with addiction to help others struggling similarly.

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The Matthew Perry Foundation - Helping people deal with addiction in honor of the actor's memory

The Matthew Perry Foundation has been established to carry on the late actor's dedication to supporting others battling addiction. According to the foundation, it will respect Perry's legacy and be motivated by his desire to positively impact as many lives as possible. The foundation has been created by the actor’s team and maintained by the National Philanthropic Trust.

Matthew Perry dedicated his life to helping others get clean after discovering strength in recovery. This included converting his previous Malibu beach house into a men's sober living facility. For two years, he turned his beach house into an oasis for addicts named the Perry House, which provided comprehensive services to assist men in achieving sobriety. The Perry House was a transitional space that helped recovering addicts ease back into their regular lives.

With a view of the Malibu pier, Perry had to make the painful decision to close the 5,500-square-foot beach compound in 2015. He was apparently in the early stages of establishing a foundation to help people with substance abuse-related concerns before his death.

The website for the foundation shared a quote by Matthew Perry which resurfaced following his sudden passing away at the age of 54. The quote reads:

“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”

The Matthew Perry Foundation stays true to these famous words by the actor who struggled for a significant part of his life although he was no stranger to fame and fortune. Notably, Perry's addiction to alcohol and Vicodin caused him to suffer for a very long time. During the show's filming, he disclosed his drinking problem to his Friends co-stars, and Jennifer Aniston even questioned him about it.

He told The New York Times that he had been sober for eighteen months and had "probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober" during book promotions for Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. He exuded a strong commitment towards maintaining his sobriety and wanting to support those in need.

Perry's death came as a shock to people as he was reportedly doing very well and taking care of himself. Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman had spoken to Perry very recently (before his untimely death). In an interview with Today magazine, she had the following to say about him,

“He was emotionally in a good place. He looked good. He quit smoking. Yes, he was sober. He learned things throughout this and what he learned more than anything is that he wants to help other addicts, and it gave him purpose.”

The Matthew Perry Foundation is a donor-advised fund and as mentioned earlier, it will be managed by the National Philanthropic Trust.