Matthew Perry was eager to make a TV comeback and felt ‘happier than ever’ in final years before death, friend insists
MATTHEW Perry wanted to make a big TV comeback and seemed happier than ever in the years before his tragic death, his friend has revealed.
The Friends star, 54, was found dead in his jacuzzi on Saturday at his Los Angeles home but neither drugs nor foul play are suspected.
Now, Matthew's longtime barber and friend Pierre Johnson Jr. is speaking out, revealing the actor's big plans prior to his unexpected death in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
Pierre, who worked with the TV personality from 2018 to 2022, reflected on their friendship.
He said Matthew began the process of writing his telling memoir to avoid relapsing and that he had other things in mind for after the book was done.
"The writing process was every day, and he'd have different people proof his work," he said.
"Once he knocked out the memoir, he had plans to really get back into movie-making again. He said that to me directly, and he'd love to have been back on television."
Pierre added: "I asked him if he was going to retire and he said no, he would just evolve."
He remembered Matthew as "a loveable guy," saying that he was eager to find love.
The hairstylist said that while the Canadian star "lived alone," that's not the life he envisioned for himself.
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"He wanted to be with someone. But it was so hard to find anybody that he could trust," Pierre told The U.S. Sun.
"He wanted a woman who was genuinely kind to him, didn't want him for his money, and wouldn't sue him."
Matthew also "wanted to be a father," according to his friend.
While he never got to launch that big comeback, Pierre noted that the author appeared happier in his final years, and that he was happy for him.
"His story was changing lives, and I was so glad to see that he was on the other side of it," Pierre said.
"To hear that he overcame, that's what everyone wants. He was ticking them off."
Matthew was focused on trying to live a more active lifestyle leading up to his death.
He was working on quitting smoking – his "last bad habit"; after shaking his addictions.
Pierre noted: "He had a home gym inside of his place in the Palisades, and I knew he'd taken up pickleball again."
The star played the sport in the hopes that it might help him stop smoking, Pierre said.
The barber expressed concern that Matthew's smoking might have played a role in his untimely death.
"On his last day, he played pickle ball, that's the lungs. I wonder if that had something to do with it," he said.
NEW DETAILS
Also on Monday, more details emerged surrounding Matthew's death.
He's believed to have drowned but law enforcement sources told that first responders were initially called to the home for a cardiac arrest.
His cause of death has been deferred, meaning medical examiners need more time to investigate.
The exact cause remains unknown but there were no signs of foul play at the scene.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner told that it could be weeks before toxicology reports are ready and made public.
They told : "Deferred means that after an autopsy, the cause of death has not been determined and the medical examiner is requesting more investigation into the death, including additional studies."
Matthew's assistant is the one who made the frantic call to 911 after the actor suffered a cardiac arrest.
She found him underwater in the hot tub and lifted his head to try and help him breathe, first responders said.
A 15-second dispatch audio clip referred to a drowning, known as an Emergency Medical Situation 9.
On the call, a first responder says: "Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning."
Medics pulled the beloved actor from the water but he was already dead.
Cops swarmed the home and no narcotics were found at the scene, though authorities did find anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and a drug for chronic pulmonary disease.
Matthew's body is ready to be released to his family so they can start making funeral arrangements.
FINAL HOURS
It has been revealed that Matthew played pickleball on the morning of his death.
His pickleball partner – a woman – told radio host Billy Bush that Perry appeared "fatigued" during their recent games together.
Billy wrote on Instagram: "I spoke to the woman he played with this morning and every morning.
"She is in shock, adored Matt ... she said he had been fatigued today and over the past week.
"A little more than usual. He played for one hour, then went home."
Still, sources said that Matthew appeared to be in good spirits
Country club members told The U.S. Sun exclusively that Matthew regularly played pickleball at the Riviera Country Club near his home in the Pacific Palisades region.
Country club members said Matthew played with his regular partner and a male friend.
He played the game at least once, sometimes twice, daily.
One source said: "He was hitting with a guy yesterday who is well-known here. I've spoken to him, he's fairly upset."
Matthew's family, meanwhile, said they're "heartbroken" by his death.
They told : "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."
And his Friends co-stars released a joint statement on Monday night, calling him so much more than a cast mate.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family," they wrote.
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"There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
He appeared on the show for 10 seasons alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow.
