The beloved star of Friends, Matthew Perry aka Chandler Bing, in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, takes us behind-the-scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence. Within its pages, several significant revelations emerged:
1. Matthew Perry had a near death experience
In 2019, Matthew Perry experienced a near death experience when his colon ruptured due to opioid misuse. This led to a life-threatening situation requiring seven hours of emergency surgery, resulting in a two-week coma and a five-month hospital stay. A colostomy bag became a necessity for nine months, and Perry underwent 14 additional surgeries since.
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2. Perry spent $9 million to be sober
Perry's journey to conquer addiction proved both strenuous and costly, as detailed in his memoir. He disclosed having spent upwards of $7 million to achieve sobriety, involving 15 rehab stints (though he suggested in an interview with the “New York Times” that the actual figure was closer to $9 million).
3. Perry almost didn’t audition for Chandler’s role
Fate nearly prevented Perry from taking up the role of Chandler on FRIENDS originally titled Friends Like Us. Engaged in contractual obligations with another show called L.A.X 2194 during auditions for Friends, Perry shared that reading the Friends Like Us script felt like a mirror of his own experiences. Ultimately, after L.A.X. 2194 was not renewed, Perry was allowed to audition.
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4. Matthew Perry was romantically involved with Julia Roberts
The memoir delves into Perry's brief but highly publicized romance with Julia Roberts in 1995. Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman initially asked Perry to reach out to Roberts to appear on the show; their interaction took place through fax correspondence. Perry described being captivated by Roberts.
6. Season 9 of Friends is the only season in which he was sober
Perry reveals that Season Nine of Friends is the sole season he filmed while completely sober. He initially believed he concealed his addiction from his Friends co-stars until Jennifer Aniston approached him, noting the scent of alcohol on him. This prompted Perry to enlist a sober companion on set and later reside in a detox center, especially during the most pivotal moment of the show: filming Monica and Chandler's wedding.
Perry's years were dedicated to bringing laughter to the world through his portrayal of Chandler Bing on Friends. However, his memoir reveals that he grappled with personal struggles behind the scenes.
