Matthew Perry Had Planned To Start A Foundation For People With 'Substance Abuse': Report

Matthew Perry, well aware of the enduring mark his role as Chandler Bing in "Friends" would leave, harboured a deep desire to be remembered for more than just his on-screen persona.

Matthew Perry/Agencies

In his quest to forge a lasting legacy, he sought to establish a foundation with a noble purpose: offering vital support to individuals grappling with the harrowing challenges of substance abuse.

People close to the late actor revealed to TMZ that in the months before his passing, Matthew Perry was in the initial phases of setting up a foundation similar to Betty Ford's Foundation near Palm Springs.?

Perry had his own struggles with substance abuse:

During his days when he remained sober, as mentioned in his book, utilized pickleball as a means to aid in his recovery.

Matthew aspired for his legacy to revolve around aiding individuals dealing with substance abuse rather than being primarily associated with his starring role on "Friends."

Agencies

"The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, 'I can't stop drinking. Can you help me?' I can say yes and follow up and do it," Perry once said in 2022 during an interview with Q's Tom Power.

"And I've said this for a long time: 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 going to live the rest of my life proving that."

Within the pages of his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry shared a harrowing account of his life, disclosing that he had faced a mere 2 per cent chance of survival following the rupture of his colon due to opioid overuse.

Instagram

"When I die, I know people will talk about friends, friends, friends. And I'm glad of that. I'm happy I've done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the World Wide Web. But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won't happen, but it would be nice," Perry told the podcaster.

"And I created the Perry House in Malibu, a sober living facility for men. I also wrote my play, The End of Longing, which is a personal message to the world, an exaggerated version of me as a drunk. I had something important to say to people like me and to people who love people like me."

Perry, who played 'Chandler' in the iconic American sitcom 'Friends', added:?

Chandler

"Wonderful things happened in my life—I'm incredibly grateful for all of them," he said in his interview with Power. "But that's the ticket for me: helping people on a large scale, or helping, you know, one guy, and seeing the light turn on."

Mira Sorvino, who shared the screen with Perry in the 1994 film "Parallel Lives," paid tribute to the actor by sharing his words after his passing.

Twitter

"I want to leave Matthew Perry's own words here as the way we remember him. There will never be another like him; he lit up so many hearts in so many ways. Godspeed to Paradise!" she wrote on X.

The 54-year-old actor discovered unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, gained worldwide fame for his role as the sarcastic Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom.?

Instagram

While he recognized that this would be a standout achievement in his extensive career, Perry's true desire was to leave a lasting legacy by raising awareness about drug and alcohol misuse.?

He was remarkably candid about his own struggles with substances and aimed to use his platform to assist others.

For more trending stories, follow us on?Telegram.?