Matthew Perrywas enjoying a new chapter of life before his untimely death.
The actor, whodied at 54 in an apparent drowningon Saturday, had just moved into his house after renovations and “was incredibly happy,” a source tells PEOPLE exclusively, adding that Perry called his new home “heaven.”
The star, who spoke candidly abouthis sobriety journey in the yearleading up to his death, was also in the process of starting a foundation to help others struggling with addiction, says the source.
Best known for playingChandler Bing onFriends,Perry grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and moved to California to live with his father as a teen, which he recounted in his2022 memoir,Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
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Perry’s final Instagram postbefore his death — a nighttime snap of himself inside a hot tub — included a reference to “Mattman.”
“Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman,” he captioned the snap, posted on Oct. 23.
In recent years,Perry had also found joy in the popular sportof pickleball, which he was playing hours before his death.
“He thought it was something that couldhelp with his recoveryand he was doing an awesome job,” his coach, Matt Manasse,told PEOPLE. “He loved it. He came out five times a week, would always talk about it. [He] got so much better, always made everyone laugh. He was competitive, just a genuine, good guy — caring for everybody.”
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Social media tributes have been pouring in from Perry’s friends and co-stars celebrating the actor’s life and career.
Friends’co-creatorsMarta KauffmanandDavid Crane, along with executive producerKevin Bright, issued ajoint statementSunday remembering the late actor, who they said “was always the funniest in the room.”
They also reflected on Perry’s beloved character, adding: “It’s a cliché to say that an actor makes a role their own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no truer words. From the day we first heard him embody the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.”
source: people.com
