What to know
- The ‘Live Loud’ benefit concert takes place at Massey Hall in Toronto on Sept. 10.
- Proceeds support mental health and substance use health initiatives in Perry’s honour.
- The event is hosted by Matthew Perry House and Make Music Matter and features top artists.
- A three-part docuseries, The One About Matthew Perry, premieres Oct. 27, offering new insights into his life and legacy.
Toronto will honour Matthew Perry, forever in our hearts as Friends’ Chandler Bing, with the ‘Live Loud’ benefit concert. The event will turn up the volume on mental health and substance use health, ahead of the late celebrity’s docuseries celebrating his lasting impact.
Matthew Perry primarily grew up in Ottawa and had spent time living in Montreal and Toronto. After his move to LA, the Canadian-American actor brought countless nostalgic childhood memories to the screen through his roles in various TV shows and movies.
Perry passed away on Oct. 28, 2023, from the acute effects of ketamine, which led to drowning in his backyard hot tub.
Since then, the Matthew Perry House has been dedicated to conversations about mental health and substance use. So, in collaboration with Make Music Matter, the two non-profit organizations are getting together to host the “Live Loud” benefit concert.
About the concert
Taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Sept. 10, Lauren Ash and Bruce McCulloch will host the “Live Loud’ benefit concert, featuring performances from award-winning artists Maestro Fresh Wes & Michie Mee, Fefe Dobson, Todd Morse, among many more.
The organizations will also work together to drive meaningful conversations about the entertainment industry and how it intersects with mental health and substance use, to reduce stigma and support those on the path to healing.
Proceeds from ticket sales will support mental health and addiction recovery initiatives.
In an Instagram post, Matthew Perry House shared why they’re hosting the event in honour of the late actor.
“Matthew loved music. He loved a good night out. And he had a pretty incredible talent for bringing people into the same room and making them feel like they belonged there. So we’re doing exactly that,” the caption reads in part.
About Perry’s upcoming docuseries
A three-part docuseries, The One About Matthew Perry, is coming out on Oct. 27.
From 236 episodes making the public laugh through his role as Chandler Bing in Friends to his real-life outspoken personality, the docuseries will show his legacy, featuring some of the people who knew him best.
Director and Emmy winner Mary Robertson speaks on Perry’s bravery in making people laugh on screen and speaking up about addiction, and why she’s setting out the docuseries.
“Through his many films, TV, and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone. He also gave us so much more by bravely speaking about addiction,” Robertson said in a press release.
“Yet the public only knew part of his story. That’s why we set out to make this series: to let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure,” she added.
The series also draws on never-before-heard testimony from Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, as well as unreleased photos and videos from the Perry family’s private archive.
“It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” Bowick said in the press release.
“As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind,” she added.
