The shock of the sudden death of Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the hit series “Friends”, has spread from Hollywood to Canada, where the star, who suffered from addiction problems, comes from, reports AFP.

The 54-year-old actor was found unconscious in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday by his assistant. NBC, the American channel that aired Friends, confirmed the death.

According to TMZ, no drugs were found at the scene of the actor’s death and there are no signs that it was a criminal act.

“Matthew Perry’s death is sad and heartbreaking. I will never forget our schoolyard games and I know people around the world will never forget the joy you brought them,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded on X (formerly Twitter).

Matthew Perry was born in the state of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States, in 1969 in a family of Canadians and Americans, and grew up between Montreal and Los Angeles.

His mother is a Canadian journalist who worked as a press attaché for Justin Trudeau’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

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Tears and a dedicated song by Adele

While the five Friends cast members — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — did not respond on social media Sunday, many stars paid tribute to the late star.

“Oh no!!!! Matthew Perry!!! Such a gentle and restless soul,” wrote actress Mira Sorvino, who co-starred with Perry in the 1994 TV movie Parallel Lives.

British singer Adele dedicated a song to him during a concert that took place on Saturday night in Las Vegas. “I will remember this character for the rest of my life,” she said.

Matthew Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing, the caustic and clumsy prankster, on NBC’s hit series Friends for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, totaling over 230 episodes.

A true cultural phenomenon, “Friends” left its mark on a generation of viewers.

It follows the adventures of a group of fun-loving friends—Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Ross, and Chandler—in New York, interspersed with romantic relationships, including Monica and Chandler and the never-ending saga between Rachel and Ross.

“I’m tearing myself apart. I am heartbroken. Sweet dreams, Matty,” actress Selma Blair said in a tribute to her “oldest friend” on Instagram.

“He has brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his impeccable comedic timing and biting wit,” NBC reported. “His legacy will live on for generations to come.

Passion for painkillers and alcohol

But the actor struggled with addiction to painkillers and alcohol for years.

In his memoirs, published last year, he admitted that he visited rehab at least 15 times and spent more than nine million dollars trying to stay off drugs.

During a recent TV appearance, Perry surprised audiences by admitting she suffered from severe anxiety “every night” while filming Friends.

In addition to this sitcom, Perry also appeared in films such as “Footies Break In” and “The Nine Yards”.

Never married, he also failed to win any Emmys, America’s prestigious television award, despite five nominations.