The Friends community found itself rocked to its core upon the death of longtime star Matthew Perry over the weekend. Perry was just 54 years old when he was found dead of an apparent drowning. Just before his death, Perry’s final social media post and his last public appearance were, in hindsight, both poignant and ominous.
Perry had a long and well-chronicled history of drug and alcohol abuse, which he fully discussed in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. His journey saw him go to rehab 15 times over the years and the toll drugs took on him left him especially appreciative of friends and the joys of life. Both seemed on his mind in the days leading up to his untimely passing.
Matthew Perry’s final outings were spent enjoying both public and quiet moments with friends before his passing
Matthew Perry at the 2023 French Open
Matthew Perry attends the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on June 09, 2023 in Paris, France. Perry, a former tennis player, died on Oct 28, 2023.
Pic: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/vRyFcwJCXt
— Rizwan Rehmat (@dohagames) October 29, 2023
Formally, Perry’s last large-scale public appearance was back during the summer, for the June 9 French Open in Paris. Photos from the sporting event show Perry sitting beside friends, smiling and at ease. In the pictures, he is seen as unshaven and partially obscured by sunglasses but there was no masking his enduring love of tennis, which predates his career as an actor.
Matthew Perry’s final public outing before his death was a dinner date with a friend, pictured outside of the Apple Pan, a famous hamburger spot in Los Angeles, six days prior to his death. #MatthewPerry #Friends #BREAKING
He looks horrible 😳 pic.twitter.com/7VDZeUHTsa
— Christine (@CybertroniaOne) October 29, 2023
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In fact, Perry started playing tennis himself when he was just four. By 13, he was the No. 2 junior tennis champion in his native Ottawa, Canada. Before acting, he spent almost half a day training. He once told PEOPLE, “I needed to succeed at whatever I was doing so I could feel better about myself,” adding, “I had this incredible drive on the tennis court, and that translated into acting.”
As for his last informal public appearance, that came much sooner, about a week before Perry’s death. Perry was spotted exiting the Apple Pan, a popular Los Angeles burger joint, on October 21. He appeared to be leaving with a friend.
Matthew Perry’s final social media post is ominous in hindsight
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Perry’s last social media post came about a week before his death. On Saturday afternoon, Perry had been found unresponsive in a Los Angeles jacuzzi not specified as his own. The cause of death has, so far, been ruled an apparent drowning and no drugs were reportedly found on the scene.
So, it is particularly eerie that Perry’s last social media post should be seemingly from that very tub. “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good?” he captioned the Instagram post, finishing with “I’m Mattman.” It is accompanied by a picture of a scenic nighttime view showing frothing warm water below a clear, moonlit sky.
Already, the comment section is flooded with mourners celebrating his impact on their lives. “Too soon, my friend, too soon,” said one in tribute. “ You were a genius. Your talent was far above what you probably even realized. You are a national treasure in at least two countries. I wish we could have been there for you .. you were there for all of us too.”
Rest in peace, Matthew Perry.
