If I didn't get the laugh I would freak out... that left me in a bad place

TRIBUTES poured in for Matthew Perry last night after the Friends star died at his Los Angeles home.

- Tara Fair

The actor, 54, who played Chandler Bing in the sitcom from 1994 until 2004, was found dead in his hot tub after apparently drowning on Saturday. Authorities do not suspect foul play.

The troubled star, who had a high-profile battle with drink and prescription pills, was known on Friends as "The one who made everybody laugh".

Matthew once admitted: "If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out." Five days before his death, Matthew shared a photo of himself in a hot tub, saying: "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman." Police were called to Matthew's Pacific Palisades home at 4pm local time. The incident was treated as a "water rescue".

Matthew, who won an Emmy for Friends, starred with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as 20-somethings living in New York. The cast were understood to be distraught at the news, with none of them putting out statements in the initial 24 hours after his death, as they coped with their loss in private.

But a source close to Ms Kudrow said: "This does not seem real or fair to her or any of the gang. Matthew was finally at peace with himself and was having the best year of his life since his book launch almost exactly one year ago. He was enjoying life.