Popular actor Matthew Perry, who is popular as Chandler Bing in Friends, passed away on Saturday, aged 54 and battled against addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol for decades. His love for Batman is no secret.
Perry’s last Instagram post, shared just five days before his death referenced the comic book character – with the 54-year-old dubbing himself “Mattman”.
The fans were also quick to point out that the photo of Matty (as his friends called him) showed him relaxing in his outdoor hot tub at home in LA. It has been noted that on 28 October, that same jacuzzi would become the scene of his death as per the local police sources.
The final post wasn’t the only indicator of the 17 Again actor’s obsession with Batman but his previous six were all indications to the superhero. It is noted that the first of the series, shared a week before his death, showed a home cinema room, with three screens set up to show the latest film in the franchise: The Batman.
The other ones showed the iconic bat symbol in various sets, including carved into a Halloween pumpkin, with Perry repeatedly referring to himself as Mattman. The popular actor had long, and openly, celebrated his love of the comic book character.
It is a motif that can be noted in his 2022 memoir, ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing‘, with the final chapter even titled “Batman”.
In the autobiography, he admits to jokingly calling an assistant “Alfred” who, in turn, calls him “Mr Wayne” (after Bruce Wayne), and reveals that he used to imagine his father as Superman and himself as the dark knight.
In an interview with GQ, published just before the book’s release, Perry confessed that he once bought a 10,400-square-foot LA penthouse simply because it resembled the home of Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight. Perry’s reasoning at the time was apparently: “Bruce Wayne had a penthouse – I’m going to have one.”
During the interview, he also revealed that he was building a dedicated Batman room in his new house (which he branded “a Matt cave”), with a pool table, large TV, and black sofa surrounded by shelves of his Batman paraphernalia. Probed on the reason for his obsession, Perry replied: “I am Batman.” He then explained: “Well, he’s a rich loner. We both drive black, cool cars.” He then conceded: “I don’t solve crime. But I’ve saved people’s lives.”
