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Hank Azaria is remembering his old friend Matthew Perry -- reflecting on their long relationship ... and revealing how the late actor introduced him to sobriety.

The famed "Simpsons" voice actor -- who actually guest starred opposite MP on "Friends" for a handful of episodes -- posted a lengthy video over the weekend in which he spoke on Matt's sudden passing ... and noted how heartbreaking it was, seeing how close they'd been.

Hank says his history with Matt goes way back -- apparently, they acted in a pilot together for a series that never got picked up ... and they were good buds from day one in showbiz.

He also says Matthew was the one who first brought him to an AA meeting -- something he says he wishes Matt would've stuck with himself ... pointing out the guy suffered a lot with addiction over the years, something that became crystal clear to Hank in Perry's memoir.

HA has a lot of kind words here for Matt ... and it's touching to hear him reminisce. He says he felt he lost his pal to drugs and alcohol a long time ago -- but that doesn't make his death any more difficult than it has been. That feeling, undoubtedly, is shared by others.

TMZ broke the story ... Perry died at an L.A.-area home Saturday after an apparent drowning during the day. We're told he was found unresponsive in a hot tub on the property.

There are still a lot of details that remain to be seen surrounding the exact circumstances of this tragedy ... which is evident in the fact that L.A. County Coroner aren't ready to rule on an official cause of death just yet. There were no illicit drugs found at the house, though several prescriptions were located inside. The Coroner has performed toxicology tests, but results won't be in for at least 6 weeks.

Kevin Brennan -- a former 'SNL' writer and comedian -- is making light of Matthew Perry's passing in a real ugly way ... which may speak to why he isn't more successful in showbiz.

Kevin -- who had a 2-year stint writing for the famed sketch comedy show way back when, and who was once a rising comic -- took to Twitter this weekend after news of Perry's death broke ... and posted an incredibly insensitive message mocking the late 'Friends' actor.

He wrote, "DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA" ... this while linking back to our story.

The tweet wasn't viewed by very many people -- KB only has about 5,900 followers or so anyway -- but it certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of folks who did see it ... with many people calling him out in the comments and bashing him for making a joke out of it.

While Kevin isn't nearly as relevant as he was in the '90s/early 2000s ... he still has a famous connection to mainstream Hollywood through his younger brother Neal Brennan -- from whom he's estranged. Neal, of course, is the co-creator/writer of 'Chappelle's Show.'

Neal and Kevin had a falling out years ago -- and the younger sibling went on to forge a solid path for himself. Neal's written for tons of shows, and even has his own Netflix comedy special now ... whereas Kevin hosts a pretty obscure podcast, and does gigs here and there.

It bears repeating ... Neal is NOT close to Kevin -- and based on interviews NB has done of late, where he was asked about his relationship with Kevin ... you can tell it's a sensitive topic. Based on this reaction to Perry alone, you'll see their personalities are very different.

So, of course, Kevin's crude remarks here are in no way a reflection of Neal -- who, as far as we can tell, minds his business and focuses on his work ... and who doesn't seem to have talked about Perry or 'Friends,' for that matter, very much at all publicly.

Kevin appears to still fancy himself standup-adjacent -- regularly commenting on mainstream comedians that Neal undoubtedly rubs shoulders with ... although, what he pulled here is far from a laughing matter. Neal doesn't seem to have reacted to his brother's post.

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Matthew Perry's death will remain a mystery for now -- because officials are waiting for some key tests to be done before weighing in definitively on how he died.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office just published their findings on an initial autopsy of the late "Friends" actor -- and they're deferring his cause of death ... pending toxicology results and further investigation, which could take weeks to complete.

They're also not indicating the manner of death at this point ... although our sources have told us no foul play is suspected, and no illicit narcotics were found on the premises.

The only other notable detail from his autopsy report is that they note he died at his residence -- and that his body is now ready to be released to his family for burial/cremation. A probe into the circumstances of his death is underway with law enforcement.

TMZ broke the news ... first responders rushed to his property on a cardiac arrest call, and Matthew was found unresponsive in his hot tub ... this after an apparent drowning. The exact sequence of events is unclear, but he was eventually declared deceased on the scene.

Like we told you ... MP had played pickleball Saturday morning for a couple hours before returning home and sending his assistant on an errand. Sometime later, the assistant returned, discovered his boss ... and then called 911.

It goes without saying ... Matthew's passing sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood. Considering his history with substance abuse, there's been speculation that could be at play -- but so far, there's no indication that's in fact the case.

Medical professionals are going to wait to see what was in his system at the time of his death -- in the meantime, all his fans and loved ones can do is mourn.

No word yet on funeral plans ... but we imagine a major celebration of life is coming soon.

Matthew Perry's family is speaking out in the wake of his death -- and they're addressing both the suddenness of losing him ... and the love they've received in the aftermath.

The actor's family tells TMZ ... "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."

It's brief, but impactful ... especially considering how strongly folks have reacted to the news.

Of course, members of Matt's family were on the scene last night -- including his parents, Suzanne Morrison and John Bennett Perry -- pulling up to his property and looking sorrowful. Even his stepfather, Keith Morrison, arrived and was moving through police tape.

Perry's parents split while he was young ... and his mother went on to marry Keith and have children with him -- including 3 girls and 1 boy, all of whom are MP's half-siblings. Keith also has a son from a previous marriage.

While his mom and dad might've not been together through most of his life -- they displayed a united front Saturday night in front of paps ... this while investigators did their work.

Countless stars and showbiz types have been pouring on the tributes for Matt -- including some old "Friends" staffers ... mostly folks behind the scenes. We still haven't heard directly from any of his main costars ... who've all been radio silent since TMZ broke the news.

An investigation into Matthew's death is ongoing ... but we know he was discovered unresponsive in his hot tub. No foul play is suspected, and no illicit drugs were found either.

He was 54.

Megan Fox stuck her tongue out at SAG-AFTRA this weekend with her Halloween costume -- or so she thinks anyway ... 'cause her movie-inspired costume is actually pretty old.

The actress made sure to call out her union Saturday by throwing up shots of her getup this year -- Gogo Yubari from Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" ... which came out way back in 2003. Naturally, alongside her was her BF Machine Gun Kelly dressed as Uma Thurman.

Megan apparently thought these costumes -- which are undoubtedly awesome -- were a big F-U to SAG ... evidenced in the fact that she tagged @sagaftra in her Instagram post.

Of course, she was calling out their strict rules that made the rounds a couple weeks ago -- which basically forbade union actors from rocking costumes from struck work ... all in an effort to show solidarity amid the ongoing strike, with negotiations actually underway right now.

In MF's mind ... this was a way to protest that, we suppose -- even though she kinda misses the mark here. Fact is, 'Kill Bill' is ancient at this point ... and no one's going around promoting it in 2023 and making Miramax money as a result (the studio that distributed it).

What SAG was getting at with their "guidance" was obviously aimed at big blockbusters that were released this year ... and which stars might be inclined to mimic for spooky season.

"Barbie" is the big one that immediately comes to mind ... but there are other hits this year that were on the table as potential go-to 'stumes. Interestingly enough, however, it doesn't appear that Hollywood, at large, bucked SAG's guidelines ... from what we can see, people weren't really dressed as characters from movies/TV shows that might make the guild frown.

The costumes that were on display all weekend amounted to a random mishmash of pop culture references and classic ghouls/monsters -- with celebs seemingly standing firm.

Now, that's not to say SAG's memo to their members didn't piss some people off ... it certainly did. Not only did Megan bristle -- but Ryan Reynolds and Mandy Moore did too.

Funny enough, this topic actually served as the premise for a sketch on 'SNL' last night ... with Sarah Sherman playing SAG union Prez Fran Drescher -- and pooh-poohing little kids in film-esque outfits. 😅

In any case, all's well that ends well ... here's hoping the strike is over sooner than later.

First responders who rushed to Matthew Perry's home Saturday did not find illegal drugs, but new information from law enforcement sources revealed there were numerous Rx drugs found in the house.

Our law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... authorities found anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and a COPD drug in the house. COPD is short for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease -- that drug is often used for people who have emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Matthew was a smoker during his life. The L.A. County Coroner will conduct a toxicology exam to determine if any drugs were in Perry's system, but that could take months.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi Saturday afternoon, after playing 2 hours of pickleball at Riviera near his home in Pacific Palisades.

Sources tell TMZ ... Perry was in "good spirits" during the game. He was a pickleball fanatic ... even creating a pickleball shrine in his home.

After the pickleball game, we're told he had his assistant pick up a new iPhone for him, and prescription glasses, which the assistant did. Two hours later, the assistant returned to Perry's home and found him unresponsive in the jacuzzi and called 911.

Our sources say after calling 911, the assistant called Perry's mother and one sibling, along with an unrelated woman.

The Matthew Perry death investigation is underway after the L.A. County Coroner arrived at his home to begin the autopsy process.

The coroner's large white van pulled up Saturday evening outside the Pacific Palisades home where Matthew was found dead earlier that day. Several members of the coroner's team rolled the body out on a stretcher and placed it in the van.

As TMZ first reported ... Matthew's assistant discovered him unresponsive in a hot tub, and our sources say the death appears to be the result of drowning. While there were no illicit drugs found on the scene, we're told there were some prescription drugs found in the house.

The coroner's office will perform toxicology testing, in addition to the autopsy, to determine cause of death, and if any substances were in Matthew's system at levels that could have harmed him.

In a grim scene ... Matthew's mother, father and stepfather were also at the house Saturday, a few hours after he passed.

Perry shared a post less than a week prior to his death that raised no eyebrows at the time, but seems eerie now -- it's a Shot of himself sitting in the corner of the hot tub at night, looking out at the city lights.

He captioned the image ... "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."

Los primeros en llegar a la casa de Matthew Perry el sábado no encontraron drogas ilegales, pero nueva información de fuentes policiales reveló que había numerosos medicamentos prescritos en la casa.

Nuestras fuentes policiales nos informan que las autoridades encontraron antidepresivos, ansiolíticos y un medicamento para la EPOC en la casa. EPOC es la abreviatura de enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica, es una droga que se utiliza a menudo para las personas que tienen enfisema o bronquitis crónica. Matthew fue fumador durante toda su vida. El forense del condado de Los Ángeles llevará a cabo un examen toxicológico para determinar si había alguna droga en el sistema de Perry, pero eso podría llevar meses.

TMZ publicó la historia, Matthew fue encontrado sin vida en su jacuzzi el sábado por la tarde, después de jugar dos horas de pickleball en el Rivera County Club cerca de su casa en Pacific Palisades.

Fuentes le informan a TMZ que Perry estaba de "buen humor" durante el juego. Él era un fanático de pickleball, incluso tenía un santuario de pickleball en su casa.

Nos informan que después del juego le pidió a su asistente el favor de recoger un nuevo iPhone para él y unas gafas graduadas. Dos horas más tarde, el asistente regresó a la casa de Perry y lo encontró inconsciente en el jacuzzi y llamó al 911.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que después de llamar al 911, el asistente llamó a la madre de Perry y un hermano, junto con una mujer no relacionada.

Matthew Perry detailed his personal struggles with drug addiction in an interview with Diane Sawyer last year -- and they even discussed his possible death.

The "Friends" star sat down with the legendary journalist to promote his memoir during an ABC News segment in October 2022 — and the conversation turned dark almost immediately.

Sawyer read a passage from the book titled, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir," quoting Perry as saying, “My friends call me Matty and I should be dead."  With a serious, yet troubled look on his face, Perry responded, “That’s definitely true."

Sawyer continued to quote from Perry's book, asserting that addicts can only beat drug addiction with a healthy support group.

Perry replied that his addiction was always waiting to get him alone so he could fill his time by using drugs, in which case he admitted, "You lose to the disease."

As we reported, Perry was found dead Saturday in a jacuzzi at his L.A.-area home after first responders received a call of a person in cardiac arrest. Investigators believe Perry drowned and are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine his cause of death. Our sources say no illicit drugs were recovered from the scene and no foul play is suspected.

At one point during the Sawyer interview, Perry tried to paint a rosier picture of his pill addiction, explaining that he "now feels OK and feels like he's got some strength." But Sawyer pushed back, asking him what he meant.

Perry said, "It means I developed some safety nets around this."

He went on to talk about his seemingly never-ending battle with the pain killer Vicodin, disclosing he ingested a jaw-dropping 55 pills per day. Visibly stunned, Sawyer asked how he could get so many pills.

Perry said he would do anything to obtain them -- even if it meant raiding the medicine cabinet at a seller's open house or going to a doctor's office with a fake migraine to get a prescription.

He also said he stayed sober for long periods of time -- but then he would get cocky, thinking, "I've got this" and "I don't need to learn anymore." As a result, Perry stopped going to 12-step meetings, leading him down the path of using drugs again.

Matthew Perry detalló sus luchas personales con la adicción a las drogas en una entrevista con Diane Sawyer el año pasado, e incluso hablaron de su posible muerte.

La estrella de "Friends" se sentó con la legendaria periodista para promover su libro de memorias durante un segmento de ABC News en octubre de 2022 y la conversación se volvió oscura casi de inmediato.

Sawyer leyó un pasaje del libro titulado "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir", citando a Perry diciendo: "Mis amigos me llaman Matty y debería estar muerto".  Con una mirada seria, aunque preocupada, Perry respondió: "Eso es definitivamente cierto".

Sawyer continuó citando el libro de Perry, afirmando que los adictos solo pueden vencer la drogadicción con un grupo de apoyo sano.

Perry replicó que su adicción siempre estaba esperando a que se quedara solo para poder volver al consumiendo drogas, admitiendo: "Pierdes ante la enfermedad".

Como informamos, Perry fue encontrado muerto el sábado en un jacuzzi en su casa del área de Los Ángeles después de que los socorristas recibieran una llamada de una persona por paro cardíaco. Los investigadores creen que Perry se ahogó y están a la espera de los resultados de los análisis toxicológicos para determinar la causa de su muerte. Nuestras fuentes dicen que no se encontraron drogas ilícitas en la escena y no hay sospechas de actividad sexual.

En un momento durante la entrevista, Perry trató de pintar una imagen más color de rosa de su adicción a las pastillas, explicando que "ahora se siente bien y se siente como si tuviera un poco de fuerza." Pero Sawyer se opuso, preguntándole qué quería decir.

Perry dijo: "Significa que desarrollé algunas redes de seguridad en torno a esto".

Continuó hablando de su aparentemente interminable batalla con el analgésico Vicodin, revelando que ingería 55 pastillas al día. Visiblemente aturdida, Sawyer le preguntó cómo podía conseguir tantas pastillas.

Perry dijo que haría cualquier cosa para obtenerlas, incluso si eso significaba asaltar el botiquín en la casa abierta de un vendedor o ir a la consulta de un médico con una migraña falsa para obtener una receta.

También dijo que se mantenía sobrio durante largos periodos de tiempo, pero entonces se volvía engreído, pensando "ya lo tengo" y "no necesito aprender más". Como resultado, Perry dejó de ir a las reuniones de 12 pasos, lo que lo llevó por el camino de consumir drogas de nuevo.

6:02 PM PT -- Más detalles están surgiendo sobre las circunstancias que rodean la muerte de Matthew Perry. Fuentes directas nos dicen que en realidad murió en su propia casa luego de realizar un poco de actividad física esta mañana.

Nos informan que Matthew llegó a casa en algún momento de la mañana luego de una ronda de dos horas de pickleball y que le pidió a su asistente un favor poco después. Cuando el asistente regresó, alrededor de dos horas más tarde, encontró a Matthew sin sentido y llamó al 911.

No está claro si lo que Matthew estaba haciendo antes de su fallecimiento jugó algún papel en su muerte, la investigación está en marcha.

Matthew Perry, una de las estrellas de "Friends" ha muerto, TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que el actor fue encontrado el sábado en una casa de Los Ángeles, donde parece haberse ahogado. Nuestras fuentes dicen que los primeros en aparecer estaban respondiendo a una llamada de paro cardíaco. No está claro donde fue esto exactamente.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que fue encontrado en el jacuzzi de la casa y que no había drogas en la escena. También nos informan que no hay señales de actividad sexual.

Perry es más famoso por su papel como Chandler Bing en la exitosa comedia de los 90s que duró diez temporadas. Matthew participó en los 234 episodios. Su personaje era uno de los favoritos de los fans al igual que su actuación, cuyos gestos y frases han sido recreados por fans de todo el mundo. Me viene a la mente una en particular... "Podría (en blanco) SER más".

Aunque "Friends" fue su mayor éxito, estuvo involucrado en innumerables programas de televisión a lo largo de los años; como "Boys Will Be Boys", "Growing Pains", "Silver Spoons", "Charles in Charge", "Sydney", "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Home Free", "Ally McBeal", "The West Wing", "Scrubs", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Go On", "The Odd Couple" y muchos más.

También actuó en un puñado de películas memorables (la mayoría de comedia), como 'Fools Rush In', 'The Whole Nine Yards', 'Three to Tango', 'The Kid', '17 Again', 'Getting In' y muchas otras. Su última actuación fue en una miniserie de televisión en 2017.

Aunque su personaje en pantalla era afable y optimista, Matthew sufría mucho entre bastidores, sobre todo por su adicción a las drogas y al alcohol, en concreto a los analgésicos. Él estuvo enganchado al Vicodin durante años, incluso mientras filmaba 'Friends' luchaba, dentro y fuera de rehabilitación.

Matthew se abrió sobre este doloroso capítulo de su vida en un libro de memorias que publicó el año pasado, donde detalló las luchas que tenía, incluyendo su clara pérdida de peso.

Durante la promoción de su libro, Matthew concedió una serie de entrevistas donde se puso muy emocional, incluyendo una con Diane Sawyer, donde detalló su historia.

Perry parecía estar limpio y sobrio hace un año, sin embargo, cuando él y los otros miembros del elenco estaban promocionando la reunión de 'Friends'; provocó la preocupación de los fans, ya que sentían que se veía mal, a veces arrastraba las palabras y parecía un poco fuera de sí.

Además del consumo de drogas, Matthew también tuvo problemas de salud, algunos de los cuales fueron graves y requirieron hospitalizaciones. Uno de ellos fue una perforación gastrointestinal que le obligó a someterse a una operación de urgencia, pero afortunadamente se recuperó.

Matthew nunca se casó, pero estuvo brevemente comprometido con Molly Hurwitz hace un par de años. La relación llegó a su fin luego de solo seis meses. Antes de eso, había estado vinculado a Lizzy Caplan.

Tenía 54 años.

RIP

Paris Hilton está en modo Halloween, disfrazándose y pasenado por Hollywood el viernes y el sábado igual que Katy Perry y Britney Spears.

Paris, junto a Kate Beckinsale, Demi Lovato y otras estrellas acudieron a una divertida fiesta el sábado por la noche en Los Ángeles. Paris copió el look de Katy en un show en Las Vegas hace unos meses con un body rojo de látex y un divertido sombrero.

El día anterior, Paris se puso en plan Britney Spears en la fiesta de Casamigos.

En cuanto a Demi, llegó como Blancanieves de Disney.

¡Kate era una mujer futurista del espacio, lo cual le sentó bastante bien!

Toneladas de estrellas se presentaron... Justin y Hailey Bieber, Billie Eilish, Ashley Benson, Paris Jackson, la pareja de Al Pacino, Noor Alfallah, Paul Wesley, Casey Affleck, Glen Powell, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss y Jodie Turner-Smith.

Matthew Perry fue el gran tema del sábado, y Adele no se quedó atrás, y le rindió homenaje a la estrella de "Friends" durante su show en Las Vegas.

Adele llamó al personaje de Perry, Chandler Bing, "probablemente el mejor personaje cómico de todos los tiempos".

TMZ publicó la historia, Perry fue encontrado muerto en su jacuzzi el sábado a causa de un presunto ahogamiento.

Adele continuó: "Siempre es tan impactante, especialmente alguien que no conoces y que te hizo reír y trajo tanta alegría a tu vida. Esto es lo que me parece tan extraño, nunca lo conocí en mi vida. Hay algo... te sientes tan triste, especialmente porque no sabes necesariamente lo que estaba pasando".

Adele, vestida para Halloween como Morticia Adams, dedicó "When We Were Young" a Perry.

Adele dijo: "Él era tan abierto respecto a sus luchas contra la adicción y la sobriedad... creo que fue increíblemente, increíblemente valiente".

Matthew Perry's family showed up at his home in L.A. just hours after the "Friends" star died Saturday in a jacuzzi.

Matthew's mother Suzanne Morrison, his father, John Bennett Perry and his stepfather, "Dateline" correspondent Keith Morrison displayed their emotions as they walked up to the house where Perry died.

TMZ broke the story ... first responders rushed to Perry's home after receiving a cardiac arrest call. Perry drowned in his jacuzzi. No drugs were found at the scene. TMZ obtained the dispatch audio -- not the 911 call -- in which first responders were sent to the house.

As TMZ reported, Matthew posted an eerie photo just days before his death, in which he showed himself in a jacuzzi with city lights below, and the caption ... "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."

Matthew's parents split when he was still a young boy. His mother married Keith Morrison in 1981. Matthew devotes a significant portion of his memoir talking about his upbringing and some of the struggles he endured as the child of divorced parents.

Matthew stayed in touch with his biological dad, an actor, and John even appeared on one episode of "Friends." John was also the Old Spice sailor in commercials.

6:02 PM PT -- More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death ... as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.

We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on an errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive ... and called 911.

Unclear if what Matthew was doing before his passing played any role in his death at this point -- the investigation into his death is underway.

Matthew Perry -- one of the stars of "Friends" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.

Our sources say he was found in a jacuzzi at the home ... and we're told there were no drugs found at the scene. We're also told there is no foul play involved.

Perry is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit '90s sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons ... and with him in all 234 episodes. His character was a fan fave, as was his performance -- mannerisms and lines of which have gone on to be recreated and spoofed by fans all over the world. One comes to mind, in particular ... "Could (blank) BE more ..."

While "Friends" was his biggest claim to fame ... MP starred/guest starred in countless other TV shows over the years -- such as "Boys Will Be Boys," "Growing Pains," "Silver Spoons," "Charles in Charge," "Sydney," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Home Free," "Ally McBeal," "The West Wing," "Scrubs," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Go On," "The Odd Couple" and more.

He had also acted in a handful of memorable films (mostly comedy) ... like "Fools Rush In," "The Whole Nine Yards," "Three to Tango," "The Kid," "17 Again," "Getting In," and many others. He's been off the scene more recently ... not having acted since a TV miniseries in 2017.

While his onscreen persona was affable and upbeat, Matthew suffered mightily behind the scenes -- notably, from his addiction to drugs and alcohol ... pain killers, specifically. He was hooked on Vicodin for years -- even while on 'Friends' -- and had been in and out of rehab.

Matthew opened up about this painful chapter of his life in a memoir he put out last year -- where he detailed the struggles he had ... including his clear weight loss/gain on the show.

During his press run for his book ... Matthew did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional -- including one with Diane Sawyer, where he detailed his story.

While Perry appeared to be clean and sober a year ago, the year prior -- when he and the other cast members were plugging the "Friends" reunion show -- drew concern from fans ... as they felt he appeared unwell, at times slurring his words and looking a bit out of it.

On top of his substance use ... Matthew also dealt with health issues, some of which were serious and required hospitalization. One such incident stemmed from a gastrointestinal perforation -- which forced him to undergo emergency surgery ... but he luckily recovered.

Matthew never married, but he was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz a couple years ago ... which came to an end after only 6 months. Before that, he'd been linked to Lizzy Caplan.

He was 54 years old.

RIP