Matthew Perry’s pickleball coach is remembering the late “Friends” star for being a “genuine” person on and off the court.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Matt Manasse remembered the late actor after Perry, 54, tragically passed away on Oct. 28 from an apparent drowning.
“Matthew was a caring, genuine, and totally real guy. He wanted to help everyone around him, and you were in a better mood when you saw him or he called you,” Manasse began.
“I’ll miss the stories he would tell about his life and career. You wouldn’t want to miss a word. He cared so deeply for his family and friends—sending prayers to everyone he touched so deeply.”
Manasse said, “Matthew was real. Of course, he was insanely talented, but there was something special about him other than that. He cared about everyone in a way that you don’t see.”
Perry was spotted on the pickleball court days before his death. The actor was seen in a gray shirt with white shorts playing the paddle sport with friends in Los Angeles.
According to People magazine, Perry was also on the Riviera Country Club’s pickleball court hours before his passing on Saturday. Manasse shared with the outlet that he was playing with another coach at the country club, who told him Perry was “doing really well” that day.
After the news of Perry’s death surfaced, Manasse told the outlet that he contacted the pickleball coach the actor played with on Saturday.
“She said, ‘Yeah, he’d come out.’ She didn’t say how long but said he’d been doing really well on court, which wasn’t a surprise,” Manasse said.
Manasse shared with Fox News Digital the impact pickleball had on Perry’s overall health – both physical and mental. Perry’s coach and friend explained that the sport was a good tool during his sobriety journey as well.
“Pickleball was a natural transition for Matthew from his tennis days. It was something more manageable that he fell in love with and that he could work on daily,” Manasse said. “He seemed to really find joy in it. It kept a good routine for him, and he brought people into the sport so he could also share the court and joy with them. There were many of us that played with Matthew—he made everyone laugh and always told the best stories on breaks. Pickleball is a game and the competitor in him loved finding ways to win.”
Manasse explained that pickleball allowed Perry to start his days in a “healthy way” surrounded by people he enjoyed.
“He would sweat and feel good and accomplished. That feeling bled into the rest of his day. Routine was big for him,” he explained. “He got in better shape. He had fun. That’s all part of recovery…”
In November 2022, Perry released his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” where he wrote about his time on “Friends” and his long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.
At one extremely low point, Perry said he was taking 55 Vicodin pills a day and weighed 128 pounds. He revealed he did 15 stints in rehab and underwent 14 surgeries for addiction-related medical issues.
In an October 2022 interview with the New York Times, Perry said he had been sober since early 2021.
