Matthew Perry Seemed to Hint at an Early Death With 1 Fateful Quote: ‘It Wouldn’t Surprise Anybody’

The world lost a bit of its humor after the untimely death of Friends star Matthew Perry, who was found dead in his California home at age 54 on October 28. Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing (or Miss Chanandler Bong, if you will) on the sitcom that ran from 1994 to 2004, but he had always been open about his drug and alcohol use.

Perry wrote a meaningful memoir in 2022, where he recounted everything he went through during his life. But one fateful quote when speaking about the book seemed to hint that Perry was expecting an early death.

Matthew Perry once said people ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if he died

Perry’s memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” told the story of an actor who, in front of the cameras, made people laugh with his witty sense of humor and on-point one-liners. But behind the scenes, Perry struggled with drugs and alcohol, noting in his book that fans could tell what he was going through based on how he looked from season to season of Friends.

Perry worked hard to recover, and he made it mission to help others who were going through the same thing; he had said in the past that he hoped to be more remembered for what he did to help others and less for his role as Chandler Bing. But when talking about his memoir in various interviews in 2022, he also had some fateful words that appeared to predict his untimely death.

“I say in the book that if I did die it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody,” Perry said in a People interview in 2022, per the New York Post. “And that’s what I’m doing with writing this book. That’s why I wanted to do it.” Perry’s words appeared to foreshadow his fate, almost suggesting that he himself thought that there was a chance he wouldn’t live the full life he deserved.

Matthew Perry’s co-stars attended the actor’s funeral in early November

Despite Perry’s struggles, the Friends cast continued to uplift him; they remained friends for decades, and after Perry’s death, all five remaining stars attended his funeral. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc all made sure to be there as Perry was celebrated and remembered. The cast reconnected last year for a Friends reunion.

Perry’s cause of death has not been revealed. Initial reports suggested a drowning, but the reason for it remains unknown. The police have said that no narcotics were found at Perry’s home and that they have ruled out fentanyl and methamphetamine as a cause of death. However, a full toxicology report could take up to six months.

According to the Portland Press Herald, those around Perry made it clear that he was in a good place leading up to his death; he had reportedly remained sober as far as anyone knew. The official toxicology report will likely have further details.

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.