Matthew Perry is one of the renowned and much-loved actors. The reason is his comic and sarcastic portrayal of Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom ‘Friends’. The Canadian-born actor, along with Matt Leblanc, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, and Jennifer Anniston, starred in the sitcom ‘Friends’. It was a beloved one that had its runtime from 1994 to 2004.
Recently, the ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ actor is promoting his memoir titled ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’. In an interview, the actor has frankly spoken about his problem with addiction and a consequent death experience. The addiction was reaching its peak steadily while Perry was shooting for ‘Friends’. In an upcoming interview and also in the memoir, Matthew has extended his gratitude to this co-star who called him out on his substance abuse issue.
Also Read: “I Didn’t Know How To Stop”: Matthew Perry Recalls Being An Alcohol Addict Before Friends
“I Know You’re Drinking”: Jennifer Aniston Called Out Matthew Perry For His Drinking Problem
The ‘Three to Tango’ actor is not shying away from talking about the addiction issue that he suffered from. In his early teens, Matthew started experimenting with a variety of drugs including Vicodin, Oxycontin, and opioids. The actor did not realize that he was addicted to it until things became gravely fatal for him. Matthew shared that he waited till he got completely sober to pen the experience which he “was pretty certain that it would help people”.
Addiction is someone that not only destroys the person but affects people around them. The actor was also addicted to alcohol. During an interview, he said during his addiction period his castmates “were understanding, and they were patient.” He continued, “It’s like penguins. Penguins, in nature, when one is sick, or when one is very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up. They walk around it until that penguin can walk on its own. That’s kind of what the cast did for me.”
However, the ‘one penguin’ who cared for him and was always by his side was Rachel Green aka Jennifer Aniston. In his memoir, he shared an instance where she walked to her trailer and confronted him about his alcoholism. She said, “I know you’re drinking.” Matthew was devastated and confused and said, “How can you tell? I never worked drunk. I’ve been trying to hide it.” She answered, “We can smell it.” In the memoir, he wrote that “the plural ‘we’ hit me like a sledgehammer.” He answered that he is aware that he is drinking, but he does not know what to do about it.
Also Read: Conflict Brewing Between Matthew Perry And Matt LeBlanc Over The 2004 Film Betrayal?
“I Had A 2 Percent Chance To Live”: The Actor Shared His Shocking Near Death Experience
During his severe medical condition, he told fans that it is a minor gastrointestinal perforation. But, the actor was battling a war with addiction. Due to an opioid overdose, his colon burst. He was in a coma for two weeks and hospitalized for five months. The doctor told his family that he had a two percent chance to live. Matthew Perry recalled, “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
Perry recounted the time when he was knee-deep in his addiction. “By the time I was 34, I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble.” At the beginning of the ‘Friends’ shoot, he was able to handle it. Even when he was reaching the brim of sobriety, he said, “Season 9 was the year that I was sober the whole way through. And guess which season I got nominated for best actor? I was like, ‘That should tell me something.’ “
During his promotional media interactions, Diane Sawyer will interview him. In a teaser, Matthew revealed that his co-star Jennifer reached out to him and he is grateful for her support. He said, “She was the one that reached out to him the most” and “I’m really grateful for that.
Also Read: Are Brad Pitt And Jennifer Aniston Still Friends?
