Heartfelt tributes are being paid to Matthew Perry, the actor and star of Friends, following his death aged 54.

Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing in the ten season sitcom, was found dead in a suspected drowing at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday. In a statement issued to People magazine, his family said they were “heartbroken”, adding: “Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend.” Perry’s fans “meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love,” they continued.

In a statement to People, Perry’s Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow wrote: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

“In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”

The show’s co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, along with executive producer Kevin Bright, also described their own heartbreak.

“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew’s passing,” they said. “We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”

They added: “This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”

Maggie Wheeler, who played Perry’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein during the early series of the TV show, paid tribute to Perry on Instagram in a post liked over 1.2 million times. “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,” she wrote.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended school with Perry, shared on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them.

“Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.”

In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Things, Perry wrote candidly about his struggles with alcohol and substance abuse, recounting an incident in 2018 in which he was given a “2% chance to live” after his colon burst from opioid abuse.

He also shared his wish that when he died, he wanted to be remembered for helping others get sober. “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it,” Perry wrote. “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. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”

Images: Getty