Matthew Perry death: How he wanted to be remembered when he died

WASHINGTON — Less than a year before his sudden death, actor Matthew Perry detailed how he wanted to be remembered when he died. 

During an event promoting his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry answered a question from the audience about the legacy he wanted to leave behind after his death. 

“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,” Perry said at the time during the 2022 interview with Tom Power. “That’s what I want.” 

The actor also revealed during the wide-ranging discussion that he didn’t want “Friends” to be the first thing mentioned after his death. 

“The best thing about me, far none, is if somebody comes up to me and says ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it,” he described. “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”

The Hollywood actor was open about his long and public struggle with addiction, writing at the beginning of his memoir: “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

Editor’s note: Perry’s comments about his legacy happen at 44:19 and 47:50. 

Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Saturday, according to coroner’s records. An investigation into how Perry died is ongoing, and it may take weeks before his cause of death is known. 

Perry’s 10 seasons on “Friends” made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.

“Friends” ran from 1994 until 2004, winning one best comedy series Emmy Award in 2002. The cast notably banded together for later seasons to obtain a salary of $1 million per episode for each.