Revisiting the Actor’s Final Hours and His Last Words

The world lost a friend when Matthew Perry died suddenly in October 2023 from an accidental ketamine overdose.

Though Perry had struggled with alcoholism and opioid addiction for years, the actor — who famously starred as Chandler Bing on Friends from 1994 to 2004 — had been working on his sobriety in the years prior to his death. In October 2022, ahead of the release of his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry told PEOPLE that he felt “safely sober” and confident that he was “safe from going into the dark side of everything again.”

But the Emmy Award winner was also candid about his own mortality — and how many second chances at life he had been given over the years. Perry’s multiple near-death experiences, including a five-month hospital stay in 2018, left Perry “grateful to be alive.”

“I think they’ll be surprised at how bad it got at certain times and how close to dying I came,” Perry said to the readers of his memoir. “I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thing to be living with.”

Almost exactly one year later, Perry’s tragic prediction came true: On Oct. 28, 2023, the Friends star was found dead in his jacuzzi — the result of a ketamine overdose. Though his death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, five people were eventually charged in connection with Perry’s drug overdose, including his live-in personal assistant and two doctors.

Now, a Peacock docuseries is taking a deeper look into Perry’s sudden death — and the people in his circle being held responsible for it. Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, out Feb. 25, details the beloved actor’s final days and the subsequent investigation that uncovered a “broad underground criminal network responsible for delivering a large quantity of ketamine to Matthew Perry and others.”

Here is a look back at Matthew Perry’s sudden death — and the lasting legacy he left behind.

How did Matthew Perry die?

Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, according to his official autopsy report, which was released in December 2023.

Drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder) were also listed as contributing factors. Perry’s passing was ruled accidental.

“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the coroner stated in the report. “Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness.”

Perry — who had been “clean for 19 months” before his death, according to the autopsy report — had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy, which the National Institute of Health has studied for its potential mental health benefits. His last treatment occurred “one and a half weeks” before his death — but the coroner noted the ketamine in his system could not have been from that treatment session, as ketamine has a half-life of three to four hours or less.

The autopsy also noted that no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found near the pool or adjacent to the water and that there were “no signs of fatal trauma or no foul play suspected.”

When did Matthew Perry die?

Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, first responders arrived at his residence at 4:07 p.m. that day after a 911 call was made that referenced a “medical emergency.” However, Perry was already dead when they arrived.

“An adult male patient was deceased prior to first response arrival,” an LAFD spokesperson told PEOPLE. “The patient was found by a bystander who had repositioned the victim where the head was out of water” in a freestanding jacuzzi. “Firefighters pulled the victim out of the jacuzzi and did a quick medical assessment to find he was deceased.”

A subsequent investigation into his death would shed light on how the Friends star spent his final hours. Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, “repeatedly” injected him with ketamine — despite not being medically trained to do so, per the Department of Justice.

Iwamasa told investigators that the actor first asked him to inject him with ketamine at about 8:30 in the morning on the day he died, per The New York Times. Just over four hours later, Perry asked for a second shot — which Iwamasa also administered — while he watched a movie.

Within 40 minutes, Iwamasa injected Perry with a third dose, at his request, and then prepared his hot tub for use before leaving the home to run errands. When Iwamasa returned later that afternoon, Perry was dead.

Where did Matthew Perry die?

Perry was found in his jacuzzi by his assistant, Iwamasa, who had returned to the star’s Pacific Palisades home after running errands.

The actor purchased the home in 2020 and had just moved in a few weeks prior to his death after completing renovations. A source told PEOPLE at the time that the actor “was incredibly happy” and had called his new home “heaven.”

A year after Perry’s death, the home was sold in an off-market deal for $8.55 million. The new owner of the home, movie producer and real estate developer Anita Verma-Lallian, shared on Instagram that she did not dwell on the home’s tragic past.

“We chose to honor the positive aspects of the previous owner’s life, his immense talent, and all the joy he brought to so many people,” she wrote, referencing Perry.

How old was Matthew Perry when he died?

Perry was 54 years old when he died.

The actor struggled for most of his adult life with substance abuse — and had a near-death experience in 2018 at the age of 49 as a result of his opioid use.

The Friends actor began drinking at the age of 14, as he revealed in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, and eventually became addicted to alcohol and Vicodin, which a doctor had prescribed him after a 1997 jet skiing accident.

“I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he told PEOPLE in a 2013 cover story. “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”

Perry sought treatment at least 15 times over the years, but the drug and alcohol usage had lasting effects on his health. In 2018, when Perry was 49 years old, the actor spent five months in the hospital after his colon burst from years of opioid overuse. He spent two weeks in a coma and doctors gave him a 2 percent chance of survival, he shared in 2022.

“That’s the time I really came close to my life ending,” Perry told PEOPLE, adding that the experience led him to stop taking prescription opioids. “A little window opened, and I crawled through it, and I no longer want OxyContin.”

What were Matthew Perry’s last words?

Perry spoke his last known words to his assistant, Iwamasa.

According to court documents, their final interaction came when the actor requested a third ketamine injection in the span of just a few hours.

“Shoot me up with a big one,” Perry allegedly said to his assistant.

What was the public’s reaction to Matthew Perry’s death?

Perry’s death devastated his family and fans alike — and the loss hit his Friends costars particularly hard. Two days after the actor’s sudden passing, his castmates from the iconic sitcom spoke out in a joint statement obtained exclusively by PEOPLE.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement read. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

The emotional message was signed by Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

Perry’s family also released a statement in the wake of his death, telling PEOPLE they were “devastated” by the “tragic” loss of their son and brother. But in the months following his death, Perry’s mother, Suzanne Morrison, and stepfather, Keith Morrison, opened up about how Perry’s passing — while heartbreaking — had a sense of “inevitability.”

“I think there was something… there was an inevitability to what was going to happen next to him, and he felt it very strongly,” Suzanne said around the one-year anniversary of Perry’s death.

Keith echoed that Perry “had been close to it lots of times over the years.”

“For years we have had to rearm ourselves repeatedly for the possibility that he would die,” Keith added. “And it was only heroic efforts by doctors that kept him alive a couple of times.”

Beyond those closest to the actor, tributes poured in from fans following the news of Perry’s death. A memorial grew outside of the New York City apartment building where his Friends character Chandler Bing lived, with fans gathering, leaving flowers and taking photos.

Who was held responsible for Matthew Perry’s death?

In May 2024, the California branch of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department, announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Perry’s death.

The LAPD had begun investigating the actor’s death in December, following the medical examiner’s report, and was working with the DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspector to determine the source of the ketamine that led to Perry’s death.

By August 2024, five arrests were made in connection with Perry’s death and charges were filed against Jasveen Sangha, Dr. Salvador Plascencia, Dr. Mark Chavez, Erik Fleming and Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. According to United States Attorney Martin Estrada, Perry fell back into addiction in the fall of 2023 and the five defendants “were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his well being.”

Three of the defendants pled guilty to their charges. Iwamasa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and admitted to injecting Perry “repeatedly” before his death, including three times on the day he died.

Fleming, a TV director and acquaintance of Perry’s, admitted to distributing the ketamine and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, per the Department of Justice. Both Iwamasa and Fleming are facing up to 25 years in prison.

Dr. Mark Chavez, who formerly operated a ketamine clinic, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine. He admitted he sold the drug to Dr. Salvador Plascencia, another defendant in the case, who is accused of selling the drug to Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison.

Sangha and Plascenscia have both entered not guilty pleas, however, and both are facing multiple charges in the case. Sangha, whom prosecutors have referred to as the “Ketamine Queen,” is accused of distributing the ketamine that killed Perry.

She is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine and five counts of distribution of ketamine. If found guilty, according to Estrada, Sangha faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Plascenscia, meanwhile, is accused of supplying drugs to Perry’s assistant Iwamasa. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.

According to the prosecutors, Plascenscia sent texts that allegedly read, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” in reference to Perry. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 10 years behind bars for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years for records falsification.

Although the pair’s joint trial was set to begin on March 4, 2025, per Variety, a February 2025 filing acquired by The Times showed that the judge agreed to push Sangha and Plascenscia’s trial to Aug. 19.

What is Matthew Perry’s legacy?

Since Perry’s death, his family has been making sure the beloved actor is remembered just as much for his dedication to helping others with their sobriety as he is for his iconic role on Friends.

Shortly after his death, Perry’s parents and five siblings launched the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada. The organization seeks to provide resources and a “support system” for people after they’ve completed rehab, Perry’s stepfather Keith explained to PEOPLE in 2024.

“Because that was Matthew’s problem,” he said. “He was through a rehab center, he’d come out, he’d be fine for a few months, and then we discovered that he had secretly using from the time he got out of rehab. So finding some way to bridge the gap, to get people well and not just kind of get them clean, is a big part of this.”

The Matthew Perry Foundation in the U.S. carries out a similar mission, seeking “to fill the gaps in people’s recovery journey,” according to Perry’s longtime manager Doug Chapin, who now serves as the foundation’s board president.

“We are achieving his primary goal of wanting to be remembered for helping people,” Chapin told PEOPLE in 2024.

The work being conducted by both the Canadian and U.S. foundations has provided Perry’s loved ones with “a reason to be positive” in the midst of their grief.

“We know that his dying wish was to be remembered for helping other people, more than his famousness for Friends,” Keith told PEOPLE. “That has now become our mission in life is to carry that wish on.”