Prior to his shocking death on Saturday at the age of 54 from a suspected drowning, Friends star Matthew Perry expressed his optimism about starting a family. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, he candidly shared how he overcame his fear of love and his desire to become a father.
Perry disclosed, “I had a tremendous amount of fear” about love but mentioned that he had “gotten over that fear” through hard work. He stated, “I’m going to learn as I go,” and revealed his hope of becoming a father someday.
In the interview, which took place during the promotion of his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry elaborated on how he had changed his perspective. “The thing that’s changed about me is I have no interest in hanging out with somebody that I don’t know or somebody that I’m not that into,” he explained. “The next person I really take seriously is somebody that I’m going to be in love with and not be scared by the things that used to scare me.”
He added, “I’m not run by the fear I used to be run by, so everything’s kind of different. I’m feeling more confident and I’m not afraid of love anymore, so the next girl I go out with better watch out.”
Matthew Perry, who had dated several celebrity women, expressed his readiness for fatherhood, stating, “I think I’d be great. I really do. I grew up with a lot of little kids around me, and that’s probably why, but I can’t wait.” He also revealed why he was often the one to end his relationships.
He explained, “That was me afraid. That is what I manifest, something that’s wrong with them. And then I break up with them. But there can’t be something wrong with everyone. I’m the common denominator. I left first because I thought they were going to annihilate me.”
Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Los Angeles-area home on Saturday and was later pronounced dead. The official cause of death is pending toxicology reports. At the time of his passing, he was not known to be in a relationship and is survived by his parents.