“His paramount thing is that he wants to help people.”
Following the sad news of Matthew Perry’s death, an excerpt from an interview has been shared across social media, in which the actor explained how he would like to be remembered after his passing.
In an interview with Tom Power in 2022, Perry explained that he wished not to be remembered solely for his role in Friends, but also for his efforts in helping people who were struggling with addiction.
In the chat, Perry said: “I’d like to be remembered as someone who lived well, loved well, was a seeker. And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That’s what I want.”
Perry portrayed the witty and hilarious Chandler Bing from 1994 to 2004 on the hit sitcom Friends, a role that saw him reach international levels of fame.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life, but the best thing about me, bar none, is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I will do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’
“So I do that, whenever I can. In groups, or one on one.”
You can watch the full interview below.
The 54-year-old was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday 28th October, following an apparent drowning, a representative for the actor told NBC News.
While Friends led to Perry receiving international recognition, he admitted that he never watched the series.
In an interview last year, the actor said: “I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go, ‘Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine.’
“I could tell season by season, by how I looked. That’s why I don’t wanna watch it, because that’s what I see.
“But I think I’m going to start to watch it because it’s been an incredible thing to watch it touch the hearts of different generations.”
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry opened up about his struggles with addiction and spoke candidly about his addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
Tributes have poured in for the late actor.
Friends star Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s girlfriend Janice, led the messages of love. She shared a picture of them both on her Instagram page.
Wheeler wrote: “What a loss.The world will miss you Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”