Matthew Perry dies at 54

© by Gerald So | 1:30 AM

I'm still in denial hours after reading reports FRIENDS star Matthew Perry died today at his Los Angeles home. I had watched Perry before FRIENDS on an 1987 FOX sitcom, SECOND CHANCE. The premise involved an older character played by Kiel Martin who, upon his death, finds himself in limbo, having been not quite good enough to get to heaven. St. Peter grants him the ability to try and influence his teenaged self toward better decisions.

I next watched Perry in an arc on GROWING PAINS, where he played Carol's charming boyfriend Sandy. In the last episode of the arc, coincidentally titled "Second Chance," Sandy has a car accident and vows to lick the drinking problem that caused it. Tragically he doesn't get the chance, dying in the hospital shortly after appearing on the road to recovery.

I wish Perry's death hadn't resembled Sandy's. One bright spot is Perry got to publish his 2022 memoir about trying to overcome addiction, FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING. I'll remember him as the actor who got to play Chandler Bing, the enbodiment of 1990s wit, the character who said what we all wish we had.