Sean Penn has admitted that he wasn’t “terribly surprised” by Matthew Perry’s untimely death at age 54.
Appearing on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” the Oscar winner, 63, called the “Friends” actor’s death “tragic” as he praised him for bravely sharing his struggles with the world.
“What a talented guy,” Penn said on Wednesday. “I can’t claim to have known him well, but I liked him very much.”
The “Milk” actor had battled his own addiction issues in the past and said he admired Perry for openly speaking out about his health woes.
“I saw him somewhat recently, and we were both catching a flight out of Los Angeles airport, and I complimented him on what I knew of his book,” Penn explained.
“I hadn’t read the book, but I had seen several of his interviews, and he seemed to be talking about it, had confronted it, and was very intelligent and bold about it and generously offering his experience to people to be helpful.”
Speaking about the actor’s death, Penn continued, “It’s tragic, I can’t say that I was terribly surprised. I don’t know what the whole coroner’s report things and everything, but I know he had done a lot of damage to his organs over the years.”
“You know, tough situation, and he got to do that, he got to leave that tale behind and he got to give a lot of joy to a lot of people with his talent. So, I wish his family well,” he added.
Penn had worked with Perry in the past and had even briefly appeared on “Friends” in two episodes back in 2001, titled “The One With The Halloween Party,” and “The One With The Stain,” respectively.
The actor played Eric, a school teacher who was engaged to Phoebe Buffay’s (Lisa Kudrow) twin sister Ursula.
Perry, who was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom, detailed his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
In the book, Perry revealed that at one point in the show, he was down to 128 pounds and taking nearly 55 Vicodin a day.
Despite trying to hide his condition, the actor said that the dramatic changes to his appearance reflected his state of sobriety.
He also said that his “Friends” cast mates “were understanding, and they were patient.”
Perry died at the age of 54 of an apparent drowning at his California home on Oct. 28, but an official cause of death is still pending.
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