Milestone Moments: All The Celebrity Vitals

[magdalene]

2 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

Matthew Perry has died. This is just so sad 😔 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/matthew-perry-dead-at-54-after-apparent-drowning-report/ar-AA1j1dPI

For years I have been thinking I will read  this news one day soon. It could have been natural causes. He was in very poor health.

[Laura Holt]

7 minutes ago, festivus said:

I liked him best in a show called Go On which was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It only lasted a season and I'm still not over it.

I never saw that but when I came across The Odd Couple I was really impressed with Matthew's performance.    It only last 2-3 years and I don't know if it was poor ratings or what that got it cancelled but it sure wasn't because Matthew wasn't wonderful in it.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Laura Holt

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 10/27/2023 at 9:06 PM, Spartan Girl said:

He was the voice of Scorpion on Spider-Man The Animated Series and Two Face on Batman TAS.

This is the third Batman voice actor we’ve lost in the last year. PROTECT MARK HAMILL AT ALL COSTS.

He also played the voice of the Bat Computer.

His Harvey before and then transition to Two-Face was just amazing; the pathos and gravitas. And his comedic performances in other shows. God. Hamill, Barbeau, and Lester are the only original cast left!😳😳😳

1 hour ago, Popples said:

I can't believe it.

 

God, no. Just…

[theredhead77]

17 minutes ago, festivus said:

I liked him best in a show called Go On which was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It only lasted a season and I'm still not over it.

I really enjoyed Go On, and I'm still salty Studio 60 was cancelled after its short run.

[Guest]

What is really fucked up is that there is a very good chance people close to Matthew Perry found out the same way we did. The LA Times says that the police went to his home at about 4 pm and TMZ broke the story at 5:20 pm. 

[kittykat]

Damn, just damn!  After everything he's gone through and finally being happy and sober.  I kinda figured he'd be the first Friend to fall but not this soon.

This one stings.  Friends was appointment TV for me and yes a fair amount of it doesn't hold up but it's still quite the loss.

[Enigma X]

I was not a huge Friends fan, but anyone who was a teen/young adult in the 90s knew who the characters on Friends were. So sad and was hoping life was getting easier for him when I occasionally saw him on TV.

[roamyn]

He was also great in 'Fools Rush In'.  Such an adorable rom-com.

Edited October 29, 2023 by roamyn

[methodwriter85]

I always thought Matthew Perry was going to be the first Friend to go. Not surprised at all. What a tortured soul he was. RIP. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by methodwriter85

[ProudMary]

Matthew Perry's dramatic turn on "The West Wing" as a Republican lawyer hired as White House Counsel by a Democratic administration, was a revelation. 

I watched and enjoyed "Go On" and "The Odd Couple" solely because he was starring in each. I watched "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" because it was Aaron Sorkin's show, and Matthew Perry ended up as my favorite character. 

I'm sad tonight. I hope he's finally at peace. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by ProudMary

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Dear God. I wasn’t a fan and his crack about Keanu Reeves was shitty, but I never would have wished this on him. Poor guy.

Same (I did like him in Mr. Sunshine, though) -- I don't have any particular feelings about him, but I still gasped when I heard the news on the radio.

47 minutes ago, Blergh said:

I hope the authorities are going over the circumstances of this alleged 'drowning' with a fine toothed comb because the majority of folks who get into a jacuzzi sober DO NOT DROWN!

They do if they suffer cardiac arrest.

Quote

But you know the press is going to hound the other five unmercifully over this.

That was one of my first thoughts.  I don't know anything about his family to know who else is going to be most keenly mourning this loss, but know the cast was incredibly close and have all remained friends, so the frenzy to get statements from them while they're in the grips of shock and sadness is going to be gross.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Bastet

[bluegirl147]

22 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

I really enjoyed Go On, and I'm still salty Studio 60 was cancelled after its short run.

I loved both those shows.  And the Odd Couple too.  Matthew Perry always made every show he was in better.  Even when playing a character who was unlikable like that lawyer in the Good Wife you still didn't hate him

Having always liked him and reading his book last year I was really hoping he was going to have a good second act.

This just sucks.

[Bastet]

37 minutes ago, Dani said:

What is really fucked up is that there is a very good chance people close to Matthew Perry found out the same way we did. The LA Times says that the police went to his home at about 4 pm and TMZ broke the story at 5:20 pm. 

TMZ's entire business model revolves around having no shame, but the people in L.A.'s law enforcement and medical communities who keep selling this kind of information to them are just as horrible.

[MadyGirl1987]

17 minutes ago, Bastet said:

They do if they suffer cardiac arrest.

I’m guessing that’s what happened. Hot tubs are not good for people with heart issues, which he might have had due to his substance abuse. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and had to have a coarctation of the aorta (basically one of my aortas was pinched and blood couldn’t get through) repaired and was warned since I was a child about overdoing it in hot tubs.

I am so sad for him and his loved ones. RIP Matthew. I hope the fact you have a lot of laughter and entertainment to the world gave you some peace and joy.

[AgathaC]

35 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

I always thought Matthew Perry was going to be the first to go. Not surprised at all. What a tortured soul he was. RIP. 

I thought the same thing. My husband gave me Perry’s book last Christmas and I came away stunned at what his body had been through. He was definitely a troubled, problematic person — talented, but troubled.

I was absolutely obsessed with Friends as a teen and young adult. This hits hard. I really wasn’t expecting any of them to go so soon. It’s got to be so hard for the other five. Whether they saw each other often or not, they were closely connected in public consciousness for nearly 30 years. Hard to reslize one of them is gone.

As far as others affected, his father, John Bennett Perry, is an actor. And silver-voiced Dateline host Keith Morrison is his stepfather.

[Annber03]

6 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

And silver-voiced Dateline host Keith Morrison is his stepfather.

Oh, yeah, that's right! 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

For years I have been thinking I will read  this news one day soon. It could have been natural causes. He was in very poor health.

Yeah. I feel terrible that my first reaction was very little surprise.  I just remember how weak he seemed at the Friends reunion and how protective they seemed over him.  And I remember thinking that he really seemed like he was in rough shape. 

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Matthew Perry's dramatic turn on "The West Wing" as a Republican lawyer hired as White House Counsel by a Democratic administration, was a revelation.

He was also good on The Good Wife.  I actually think I enjoyed his roles in dramas and dramedies more than I enjoyed his roles in comedies.

[andromeda331]

21 hours ago, Bastet said:

Exactly; that is my primary association* with his name ever since he casually revealed that in an interview many years ago, saying it was a shitty thing but not acknowledging the degree of awful, so I don't much care if someone cheated on him, or any other less odious act, even if true. 

*Then his nonsense of recently flexing over initially getting the Olsen twins fired - because they, you know, like babies do, cried in the scene where his character and Dave Coulier's were handling them like they didn't know what they are doing - but then demanding them back because the next set of twins selected also cried and were even uglier, and he's just gross. 

Fuck that guy.  He seemed genuinely gutted when Bob Saget died, but that's about all I'll give him on the humanity front from what I've come across.

I liked him until I heard from that story about him and hated him ever since. The story about the Olson twins shows he's been an asshole pretty much the whole time. 

1 hour ago, festivus said:

I just saw this and I'm somehow shocked and not at the same time. The abuse he put his body through can really take a toll. I don't see any details yet except I think it was said there was no foul play.

I liked him best in a show called Go On which was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It only lasted a season and I'm still not over it.

RIP

Same here. He really put his body through so much I'm surprised he made it this far but at the same time I'm still shocked. If drugs weren't involved it would stink that he finally overcame his demons but only to die of drowning in a hot tub. If drugs were involved then it's sad that he never did overcome them.

[AgathaC]

This bit from the Friends reunion popped up in my YouTube feed:

https://youtu.be/pAGpI-0w2LM?si=uSajH51MFgemNEQN

[Fool to cry]

First thing I saw him was on a  short lived 1988 FOX show called Boys Will Be Boys. I didn't see the early episodes under the title Second Chance when it had this supernatural premise about a guy who died in the future and is sent back to mentor his younger self(Perry). Second Chance was just about a teen. His best friend was this dumb Italian(sound familiar?). I remember one moment where Perry and the friend were hanging on a fire escape that seemed like it was about to detach. The friend says "Don't worry it looks like it's connected by a strong nail!" and the way Perry goes "Nail?" was so funny and dry. He really had those comedic chops at a young age. RIP.

[scarynikki12]

 

[Ancaster]

The anti-vaxxers are already saying it's because he got the Covid vaccine.  

[Annber03]

Oh, for fuck's sake...

[Wiendish Fitch]

10 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

The anti-vaxxers are already saying it's because he got the Covid vaccine.  

[Ancaster]

On 10/20/2023 at 5:57 AM, Llywela said:

English actress Haydn Gwynne has died of cancer aged 66.

I don't know how well known she is or isn't outside of the UK, but I gasped out loud when I saw the headline. She was brilliant in everything I've ever seen her in.

I was lucky enough to see her in Billy Elliot when it first opened in the West End.

[bluegirl147]

I think the first time I saw Matthew Perry was Growing Pains where he played Carol's boyfriend Sandy. He was in a car accident and Carol leaves the hospital relieved he is going to be OK only to return home and have Mike tell her Sandy died. It feels like that now.  How many of us thought after reading hIs book and watching his interviews he is going to be Ok?

[Shannon L.]

12 hours ago, stonehaven said:

I was never a "Friends" fan but if there was ever a beloved character from that show, Chandler Bing was it.

Like others, he was my favorite character, too.  I remember seeing the cast on a talk show where the producers had polled Friends fans with silly questions about the show and it's characters.  The answer to "Which Friend would you most like to introduce to your parents?" was Chandler.  Matthew's reaction was cute.

I don't think I've seen any of his other work, but I have fond memories of him on the Friends and was sad and shocked to learn of his problems and to see him on the reunion show.  It's hard to believe that he's gone. 

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

I think the first time I saw Matthew Perry was Growing Pains where he played Carol's boyfriend Sandy. He was in a car accident and Carol leaves the hospital relieved he is going to be OK only to return home and have Mike tell her Sandy died. It feels like that now.  How many of us thought after reading hIs book and watching his interviews he is going to be Ok?

Sadly, not me.

I'm sorry to say that whether it turns out that he died from "natural causes" such as a heart attack, or "unnatural causes" due to a relapse, the awful nature of his disease and the incredible abuse his body had already gone through means an early death is not surprising to me.

[Quof]

12 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

God, I hope not! Seriously, leave people alone during difficult times. Is that so hard to grasp?

I've expressed my opposition to attention seeking grief porn before.   Frankly, I hope the 5 decide as a group "There are no words.  We'll remember our friend privately rather than cheapen our relationship by putting out a sound bite to satisfy the masses." 

[AgathaC]

2 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Sadly, not me.

I'm sorry to say that whether it turns out that he died from "natural causes" such as a heart attack, or "unnatural causes" due to a relapse, the awful nature of his disease and the incredible abuse his body had already gone through means an early death is not surprising to me.

Same here, unfortunately. The extent of the damage done really surprised me when I read his book. It was a miracle he was still alive, but I definitely had the feeling that he wouldn’t live to old age.

Yet, I was shocked to hear the news. Shocked, not surprised, maybe?

[Laura Holt]

13 minutes ago, AgathaC said:

Yet, I was shocked to hear the news. Shocked, not surprised, maybe?

I was completely thrown.  Maybe if I'd read his book I'd have expected this more but as it was no, not at all.  I guess it's just I see these rockers out there who have abused their bodies with drugs, alcohol,  cigarettes, hedonistic lifestyle who are still going strong into their 80s and think it's more the norm than not.  But I guess it really isn't the norm at all.

[Fool to cry]

My reaction when the news came on my phone was "Damn it."

Has anyone seen the Matthew Perry episode of Punk'd the 2000s MTV show with Ashton Kutcher where they prank celebrities? Matthew is accompanying a friend who wants to buy a sports car and it gets raided by "police" because all the cars are supposedly stolen. It's incredible to see how much Matthew is like Chandler IRL, at least with his humor. Here's a clip:

 

 

[kittykat]

2 hours ago, Laura Holt said:

I was completely thrown.  Maybe if I'd read his book I'd have expected this more but as it was no, not at all.  I guess it's just I see these rockers out there who have abused their bodies with drugs, alcohol,  cigarettes, hedonistic lifestyle who are still going strong into their 80s and think it's more the norm than not.  But I guess it really isn't the norm at all.

Right.  It's also why wrestlers are dropping like flies in their fifties and sixties.  Sadly long term drug usage causes irreparable damage to the heart.  Even when sober, the damage is done.  I know rockers like Mick and Keith are the exception and not the rule but it still sucks especially when it is someone who has turned it around and truly trying to do better.

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, kittykat said:

I know rockers like Mick and Keith are the exception

And even then, I think Richards' drug usage was still much longer and more extensive than Mick's. I've always known all the jokes about Richards, but I still remember somehow being stunned when I finally watched the Gimme Shelter documentary a few years ago, and he was so fucked up that he had to lie down on the recording studio floor to listen to the music. 

There are a lot of alcoholics and addicts in my family. I was actually just talking to a friend earlier this week about my grandmother's brothers. All were heavy alcoholics and one intermixed drugs with it. Two died in their fifties and one died at sixty-seven, and we were all stunned any of them lived longer than forty. One of them had been sober for twenty years, but it was still just too much for his body to sustain. 

[shapeshifter]

14 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Yeah. I feel terrible that my first reaction was very little surprise.  I just remember how weak he seemed at the Friends reunion and how protective they seemed over him.  And I remember thinking that he really seemed like he was in rough shape. 

Same. 
I just listened to the 14-minute audio of this recent NYT interview with Perry for the release of his memoir (gift link). It sounded like the most important thing to him at the time of his death was helping other addicts. Done right, a biopic based on his book might accomplish that. BTW, he actually wrote the book himself.

[ProudMary]

[AstridM]

16 hours ago, festivus said:

I just saw this and I'm somehow shocked and not at the same time. The abuse he put his body through can really take a toll. I don't see any details yet except I think it was said there was no foul play.

I liked him best in a show called Go On which was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It only lasted a season and I'm still not over it.

RIP

I really enjoyed that show too.

[AstridM]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

And even then, I think Richards' drug usage was still much longer and more extensive than Mick's. I've always known all the jokes about Richards, but I still remember somehow being stunned when I finally watched the Gimme Shelter documentary a few years ago, and he was so fucked up that he had to lie down on the recording studio floor to listen to the music. 

There are a lot of alcoholics and addicts in my family. I was actually just talking to a friend earlier this week about my grandmother's brothers. All were heavy alcoholics and one intermixed drugs with it. Two died in their fifties and one died at sixty-seven, and we were all stunned any of them lived longer than forty. One of them had been sober for twenty years, but it was still just too much for his body to sustain. 

Definitely. I don’t think Mick was ever a big drug user. He was always more about the women than the drugs. 

[Bookish Jen]

I have to admit I am more saddened by Matthew Perry's death than I thought I would me. It's just so tragic.

[emma675]

5 hours ago, Quof said:

Frankly, I hope the 5 decide as a group "There are no words.  We'll remember our friend privately rather than cheapen our relationship by putting out a sound bite to satisfy the masses." 

I was thinking about this last night and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the remaining 5 put out a group statement or post the exact same message on their social media. They united as a group during the Friends days to get a uniform pay raise and they are known for protecting and taking care of each other even now. I hope they are able to support each other and mourn as a group with as much privacy as they need.

[Constant Viewer]

19 hours ago, festivus said:

I just saw this and I'm somehow shocked and not at the same time. The abuse he put his body through can really take a toll. I don't see any details yet except I think it was said there was no foul play.

I liked him best in a show called Go On which was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. It only lasted a season and I'm still not over it.

RIP

I really liked Go On too and thought he did a good job on the show.

[roamyn]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

There are a lot of alcoholics and addicts in my family. I was actually just talking to a friend earlier this week about my grandmother's brothers. All were heavy alcoholics and one intermixed drugs with it. Two died in their fifties and one died at sixty-seven, and we were all stunned any of them lived longer than forty. One of them had been sober for twenty years, but it was still just too much for his body to sustain.

Alcoholism runs in my family as well.  My dad actually made it to 74 and was 20+ yrs sober when he died, but he had an aortic separation and the doctor told me his body was like 10 yrs older than his age.  Which is why I rarely drink.

I had no idea Mr. Perry's health issues were that extensive.   Its a miracle he made it to age 50.  It's so sad and I hope his story is able to save at least one person, so that his suffering won't be in vain.

 

[Zella]

2 hours ago, AstridM said:

Definitely. I don’t think Mick was ever a big drug user. He was always more about the women than the drugs. 

My understanding is Mick was more of a drug user than people tend to assume, but he never made it as central of an aspect of his persona, he gave it up much earlier than Keith, and he also wasn't injecting heroin intravenously, apparently preferring to smoke it. So, I think by everyday standards, he was definitely more than a casual user. 

1 hour ago, emma675 said:

I was thinking about this last night and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the remaining 5 put out a group statement or post the exact same message on their social media. They united as a group during the Friends days to get a uniform pay raise and they are known for protecting and taking care of each other even now. I hope they are able to support each other and mourn as a group with as much privacy as they need.

I hope they have their privacy too. I never got into Friends, but you could easily tell how close the main cast was with each other. Unfortunately, I was reading that last night the media and public were already camped out at Perry's house, taking pictures of his family as they arrived. 

[methodwriter85]

6 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Same here, unfortunately. The extent of the damage done really surprised me when I read his book. It was a miracle he was still alive, but I definitely had the feeling that he wouldn’t live to old age.

Yet, I was shocked to hear the news. Shocked, not surprised, maybe?

I had a similar reaction to Brittany Murphy dying. She was diabetic (Dana Hill died at a similar age of diabetes complications) and had fluctuating weight, which couldn't have been good for her heart. When she passed I wasn't surprised at all. She seemed so fragile. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by methodwriter85

[Scout Finch]

On 10/26/2023 at 6:44 PM, Annber03 said:

Regarding the Britney conversation, I feel like now would be as good a time as any to bring out this clip again:

.

 

I was just thinking of this and was going to post it.

[WendyCR72]

And, not surprisingly, the Friends set, the Go On series set, and Fools Rush In are near the top of the Amazon best sellers today.

Maybe because I was also in my 20s when Friends began, but this hit hard. Even though I'm not all that surprised by Matthew Perry's death, I am still sad as hell about it.

Cannot fathom what his poor parents, stepfather, and the rest of the Friends cast are feeling.

(Yet I saw elsewhere how some are already bitching because the cast has yet to run to social media. Gross.)

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, Zella said:

Unfortunately, I was reading that last night the media and public were already camped out at Perry's house, taking pictures of his family as they arrived. 

Oh, yeah.

I was disgusted when I saw actual video on TwitX of Keith Morrison near police tape and greeting Matthew's dad, etc.

But then, these same vultures had helicopters circling the moment it was announced that Robin Williams had died, too, so at least the vultures remain consistent in their bad taste.

God forbid the family is given even a minute of privacy to process...

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

I was disgusted when I saw actual video on TwitX of Keith Morrison near police tape and greeting Matthew's dad, etc.

My understanding is Morrison was there as Perry's stepdad and was equally ambushed by media. 

[WendyCR72]

1 minute ago, Zella said:

My understanding is Morrison was there as Perry's stepdad and was equally ambushed by media. 

Oh, I know that!

My disgust includes invading Morrison's privacy.

The whole thing was just gross. Although I did like one snide comment made to the account about not getting a picture of the body, so the video would have to do, etc.

His poor family.

[Zella]

Just now, WendyCR72 said:

Oh, I know that!

My disgust includes invading Morrison's privacy.

The whole thing was just gross. Although I did like one snide comment made to the account about not getting a picture of the body, so the video would have to do, etc.

His poor family.

Ah okay I understand what you're saying and agree 100%.