A new foundation has promised to continue Matthew Perry’s commitment to “helping others struggling with the disease of addiction”.
The actor, who rose to fame on Friends as the witty and sarcastic character Chandler Bing, died at the age of 54 last week.
A memorial service for Perry took place on Friday at a Los Angeles cemetery and was attended by relatives and castmates from Friends, US media reported.
During Perry’s life, he was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction and also set up a sober living facility for men with similar issues. The foundation has been established with a view to continuing that work.
In a statement, the organisation said: “The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realisation of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction.
“It will honour 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.”
The Matthew Perry Foundation also referenced a quote by Perry on its website, in which he said: “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.
“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 a fund sponsored and maintained by the charity National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), who say in their mission statement they want to increase philanthropy.
Mourners gathered for Perry’s memorial service at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, where numerous well-known figures including Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor are buried.
All five Friends co-stars - Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer - were there, according to TMZ. They earlier in the week paid tribute to their fallen castmate in a joint message, which described Perry’s death as an “unfathomable loss.” They said they were “utterly devastated by the loss,” adding that they would have more to say in time.
The cause and manner of Perry’s death are to be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, following completion of a postmortem with toxicology tests. - PA/Reuters
