Hi everyone. Like I imagine many of you who are reading this felt, I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Matthew Perry recently. I wanted to do something to pay tribute to him, and though a personal blog post with a tiny readership is about as small a tribute as you can imagine, it’s all I’ve got. This one’s for you, Matt ❤️
News of celebrities passing away is a somewhat regular occurrence. It’s always sad, but the impact it has on me varies, depending on who it is. Even for celebrities I’m quite fond of, after a brief reflection, I’m ready to move on. The news about Matthew Perry hit me much harder.
I think one of the reasons was his age. Just 54 years old. Not young, but certainly not at the sort of age where dying is expected. The whole thing feels like it came completely out of the blue.*
The other reason this was so sad for me was that Matthew Perry has been such a huge part of my life. That might sound like hyperbole, but I think it’s safe to say that Friends is a show that I’ve watched more than any other. They stopped making it over 20 years ago, and I still watch it regularly.
Though I love all six characters dearly, Chandler was always my favourite. I think a lot of my personality, at least from a humour perspective, has been heavily influenced by him. Though, I could only dream of being as sarcastic and quick-witted as the great man himself. He had so many great lines and deliveries, and he just made it seem so easy and effortless.
*As sad as I was typing this out, it brought a smile to my face, remembering a great Matthew Perry delivery in Friends. Chandler is trying to get rid of his crazy roommate, Eddie. After Eddie says that asking him to leave is a little out of the blue, Chandler responds, “No, it isn’t! It’s smack dab in the middle of the blue!”
I think I’ll be sad about this for a while. But I’ll take comfort in the fact that Matthew Perry’s legacy will live on, not only through his work as an actor, but through his altruism and generosity. Not a lot of people know this, but he set up a house in Malibu to help people who were struggling with addiction. There are literally people alive today because of Matthew Perry. I can think of no greater legacy than that.
Thank you for reading. There’s no getting around it; it was a pretty downbeat blog today. Such is life. Sometimes. But, we march on and try to be grateful for the good moments. Keep your chins up, and I’ll catch you all soon.
A Rob Blog 