A collection of intriguing personal items, including annotated scripts, well-used tennis rackets, Batman memorabilia, previously worn suits, and a famous Banksy painting, are set to hit the auction block. These belonged to the late actor Matthew Perry and will be sold to support his foundation dedicated to helping those struggling with addiction.
Perry battled addiction himself, a struggle that tragically ended his life at the age of 54 due to a ketamine overdose in 2023. His fans will now have the opportunity to acquire these keepsakes, cherishing the memory of the beloved actor who left a lasting impact on many.
The auction will take place on June 5 at Heritage Auctions’ Dallas, Texas headquarters. The auction house has given The Daily Mail an exclusive look at these treasured items ahead of the event.
Brian Chanes, the Senior Director of Hollywood & Entertainment at Heritage Auctions, guided The Daily Mail through the collection, offering insights into the significance these possessions held in Perry’s life.
On June 5, Heritage Auctions will be auctioning off an assortment of his belongings at their headquarters in Dallas, Texas and have offered The Daily Mail a preview of the precious items.
Brian Chanes, Heritage Auctions’ Senior Director, Hollywood & Entertainment, walked The Daily Mail through the display and revealed the special role the belongings played in Perry’s life.
The precious belongings owned by the late Matthew Perry will be up for auction by Heritage Auctions next month
The Daily Mail got a preview of the treasures available to be bid on – with items including scripts scribbled with notes
The well-worn tennis rackets played by Perry will also be available for auction
Perry’s suit jackets will also be available for bidding
Perry played Chandler Bing on the hit Friends sitcom for 10 years
Perry had an impressive art collection which features an iconic Banksy painting
‘The outpour of enthusiasm and support and adoration for Matt has been amazing.,’ Chanes told The Daily Mail.
The display contained the types of memorabilia a true Friends fan would treasure forever.
Originally titled ‘Six of One’, Perry’s belongings included an outline of the series before it was renamed Friends – a rare item describing the premise of the series and the ‘friends and lovers’ it set out to follow.
‘This was the name of Friends, Six of One, before it became Friends, but this is a basically an outline, basically “From the creators of Cheers and Frasier, you know, Six of One,’ Chanes said of the script.
‘”Six single people living in New York is about friends and lovers, IKEA furniture, cappuccino, bad date, Spanish soap operas, and Mr. Potato Head,” but anyway, it just gives the rundown of it, and then here is a pilot.’
Outside of acting, Perry was also an avid tennis player who grew up playing the sport.
His rackets are among the possessions available for purchase, and their broken strings show the good use Perry got out of them.
‘Obviously well-worn, you can see the gut strings are popped on a couple of them,’ Chanes said.
The auction will include a New York Rangers jersey owned by the actor
The collection includes the outline for ‘Six of One’, the original name of Friends
Rare scripts offer a glimpse into the life of an actor beloved by so many
Perry’s art collection boasts two works by the enigmatic Banksy
The Friends actor proved to be quite the arts aficionado
Perry’s art collection included a unique Batman piece
A custom handkerchief and Batman cufflinks offer a glimpse into the actor’s tastes
A ‘Chandler Bing’ card, which is presumed to be a gag gift, were among the sillier belongings
A ‘Mattman’ sculpture with a custom Batman mask given to Perry by Jimmy Kimmel
‘He was heavily influenced by sports, especially tennis,’ Chanes explained. ‘He loved hockey too ’cause he was from Ottawa, but he felt particularly motivated by his idol Jimmy Connors.’
Much like Connors, Perry devoted himself to tennis before pivoting to acting.
‘He would play up to 10 hours a day when he was a kid,’ Chanes said. ‘He was a really accomplished, he was actually playing tournaments in Canada and when the family moved from Ottawa to LA, there was a lot more competition, everyone has a tennis court out here, and you can play year round, unlike Canada.
‘And so he realized it wasn’t necessarily in the cards for him to play professional tennis. But it meant a lot to him. And he still played.’
Magazines collected by Perry’s publicist also offer a snapshot into the Friends heyday.
‘I know they just look like regular magazines and plaques, but one of his publicists, his job… everything that he appeared in, he ended up getting him a copy. And so that’s what you see, a portion of it right here,’ Chanes said.
Even Perry collected Friends swag given to the crew
An unwrapped yet unopened Game Cube along with unwrapped video games
Perry’s SAG-AFTRA card was tucked into his wallet
True Friends fans will appreciate the rare items from the show
A handwritten note from the stationary of Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman
On June 5, Heritage Auctions will be auctioning off an assortment of his belongings at their headquarters in Dallas, Texas
The auction boasts Banksy artworks projected to sell for more than a million as well an autographed Friends script donated by Warner Brothers already going for $16k.
Yet Chanes stressed the price point of numerous items were made with the fan who didn’t have loads of cash to splash in mind.
‘One thing I want to make clear for people, is that we have things for just a few $100 and we have things that are going to sell for maybe a million or more, that Banksy over there, the girl with the balloon.’
A set of VHS tapes from Perry’s collection are now available at $330 – a fraction of the millions the rare artworks will likely go for.
‘We have his set of VHS tapes that were from Warner Brothers,’ Chanes said. ‘It was like his master VHS of the final… it’s from his collection.
‘Right now, I think the bidding is at $330 and so you can have something of his that’s a good commemorative morsel, if you will, and for [a] relatively small amount, and of course, knowing that the funds are going to his favorite cause is the real kicker.’
Perry battled addiction for many years, a struggle that intensified during his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing.
His rise to fame alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer on the iconic Friends sitcom from 1994 to 2004 was overshadowed by personal struggles.
Perry openly admitted that his addiction issues frequently interfered with his work during those years and he laid bare his struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
He passed away aged 54 in October of 2023 after drowning in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles following a ketamine overdose.
Perry with co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer
He was beloved playing Chandler Bing on the NBC series Friends
The hit show about a friend group in the Big Apple ran from 1994 to 2004
He passed away aged 54 in October of 2023 after drowning in a jacuzzi at his home in Los Angeles following a ketamine overdose; Perry is pictured in 2017 in NYC
Five people have since been convicted for their part in his overdose, including Perry’s drug counselor, his ‘Ketamine Queen’ drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, and two doctors.
On Wednesday, Perry’s one-time assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who injected the Friends star ‘repeatedly’ with ketamine on the day he died, was sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, causing death.
The actor’s final request to Iwamasa was ‘shoot me up with a big one’ before the injection was administered.
Iwamasa, 60, was the first of the five people implicated in Perry’s death to reach a plea deal with prosecutors in August of 2024.
In addition to his 41 month prison sentence, Iwamasa was ordered to pay separate fines of $10,000 and $100, and be on supervised release for two years.
He must surrender to authorities by 12pm on July 17 to begin his sentence.
Perry laid bare his addiction struggles in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Perry’s post-Friends acting career included a starring role in 17 Again
His death sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond, and devastated his former castmates, who issued a joint statement describing themselves as ‘more than just cast mates’ but ‘a family’
Hollywood and fans alike grieved Perry following his passing at age 54 in October of 2023
Facing Perry’s loved ones in court in LA on Wednesday, Iwamasa took the stand to say he was ‘horribly, horribly sorry’ for his role in Perry’s death.
He said: ‘I’m so sorry to all of you. I’m just so sorry to have done illegal acts that I will forever regret. I will take it to my grave.
‘I hope I’ll be a cautionary tale to someone who’s in my position to make better choices.’
The Matthew Perry Foundation was established after his death to honor the actor’s enduring commitment to helping others battling addiction.
The foundation features one of Matthew’s most poignant quotes on its website: ‘When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.’
His death sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond, and devastated his former castmates, who issued a joint statement describing themselves as ‘more than just cast mates’ but ‘a family’.
