Alex Arger
'Friends' cast mourns late co-star Matthew Perry in joint statement
Matthew Perry's "Friends" co-stars are "utterly devastated" by the loss of the actor, who died Saturday.
LEARN MOREPosted: 7:01 p.m. EDT Nov 3, 2023
Matthew Perry's legacy will live on beyond his beloved character roles.
On Friday, a website for The Matthew Perry Foundation went live, listing its mission statement as "the realization of Matthew's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction. It will honor his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible."
Perry died at age 54 less than a week before the organization announced its official establishment. Paramedics found him unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, and an investigation into the cause is ongoing.
Prior to his death, the Emmy-nominated "Friends" star had been making plans to establish a foundation to help those with addiction issues, according to PEOPLE.
Perry had been open about his decades-long battle with alcohol and drug abuse and his hope to help others with their struggles.
In 2013, the actor opened another foundation to help people achieve sobriety called Perry House. Operating out of his former Malibu home, the men's sober living facility ran for two years.
Addiction recovery work is what Perry wanted to be remembered for, according to a statement he made while on a podcast in November 2022. The quote also appears on his foundation's website, reading: "When I die, I don't want 'Friends' to be the first thing that's mentioned — I want helping others to be the first thing that's mentioned. And I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that," it reads. "Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down."
The foundation is now accepting donations and will be maintained by the National Philanthropic Trust, which has raised more than $49 billion since its inception as a public charity.
