Matthew Perry appeared at the 2022 GQ Men of the Year Party.Photo:Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagicMatthew Perrywas long vocal about his struggle with addiction — and the things he’d give up to erase it.In Perry’s 2022 cover story, hetold PEOPLEhe’d let go of all of his fame and fortune to avoid addiction.“The fact that I would trade it all to not have this disease is true,” he said.But the lateFriendsalum was also quick to speak to the joys of filming the 10-season sitcom alongside actors — and IRL friends —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmer. “But I don’t belittle how fun the experience has been onFriends,” he added. “And the money was amazing. Just the creative experience of being on the show probably saved my life.”The Friends cast on set of “The One Where They All Turn Thirthy.".Warner Bros. TelevisionIt could have been the viral camaraderie, sure, but Perry’s work routine made it necessary for him to rest — rather than indulge. “When you’re making a million dollars a week, you can’t drink the 37th drink,” he said. “You have to go home and go to sleep.… That was the greatest job in the world.”On the series, Perry played the comedic Chandler Bing, who, in later seasons, wed Cox’s Monica Gellar. The cast reconnected in 2021 for HBO Max’sFriends: The Reunion, a look-back special that celebrated the show’s success and what Perry called the cast’s “unbreakable bond.”Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on Friends.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyPerry wasfound deadon Saturday at his Los Angeles home of an apparent drowning. He was 54. Law enforcement sources first told TMZ there were no drugs found at the scene, and there appeared to be no foul play.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.The actor released his memoir,Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, in 2022. In it, he recounted his years in the spotlight, struggles with substance use, and romantic relationships that went viral. The timing of his memoir release was strategic.“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,“he told PEOPLE exclusively in his cover story. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.“If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Matthew Perry appeared at the 2022 GQ Men of the Year Party.Photo:Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Matthew Perrywas long vocal about his struggle with addiction — and the things he’d give up to erase it.In Perry’s 2022 cover story, hetold PEOPLEhe’d let go of all of his fame and fortune to avoid addiction.“The fact that I would trade it all to not have this disease is true,” he said.But the lateFriendsalum was also quick to speak to the joys of filming the 10-season sitcom alongside actors — and IRL friends —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmer. “But I don’t belittle how fun the experience has been onFriends,” he added. “And the money was amazing. Just the creative experience of being on the show probably saved my life.”The Friends cast on set of “The One Where They All Turn Thirthy.".Warner Bros. TelevisionIt could have been the viral camaraderie, sure, but Perry’s work routine made it necessary for him to rest — rather than indulge. “When you’re making a million dollars a week, you can’t drink the 37th drink,” he said. “You have to go home and go to sleep.… That was the greatest job in the world.”On the series, Perry played the comedic Chandler Bing, who, in later seasons, wed Cox’s Monica Gellar. The cast reconnected in 2021 for HBO Max’sFriends: The Reunion, a look-back special that celebrated the show’s success and what Perry called the cast’s “unbreakable bond.”Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on Friends.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyPerry wasfound deadon Saturday at his Los Angeles home of an apparent drowning. He was 54. Law enforcement sources first told TMZ there were no drugs found at the scene, and there appeared to be no foul play.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.The actor released his memoir,Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, in 2022. In it, he recounted his years in the spotlight, struggles with substance use, and romantic relationships that went viral. The timing of his memoir release was strategic.“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,“he told PEOPLE exclusively in his cover story. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.“If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Matthew Perrywas long vocal about his struggle with addiction — and the things he’d give up to erase it.
In Perry’s 2022 cover story, hetold PEOPLEhe’d let go of all of his fame and fortune to avoid addiction.
“The fact that I would trade it all to not have this disease is true,” he said.
But the lateFriendsalum was also quick to speak to the joys of filming the 10-season sitcom alongside actors — and IRL friends —Jennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,Lisa Kudrow,Matt LeBlancandDavid Schwimmer. “But I don’t belittle how fun the experience has been onFriends,” he added. “And the money was amazing. Just the creative experience of being on the show probably saved my life.”
The Friends cast on set of “The One Where They All Turn Thirthy.".Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
It could have been the viral camaraderie, sure, but Perry’s work routine made it necessary for him to rest — rather than indulge. “When you’re making a million dollars a week, you can’t drink the 37th drink,” he said. “You have to go home and go to sleep.… That was the greatest job in the world.”
On the series, Perry played the comedic Chandler Bing, who, in later seasons, wed Cox’s Monica Gellar. The cast reconnected in 2021 for HBO Max’sFriends: The Reunion, a look-back special that celebrated the show’s success and what Perry called the cast’s “unbreakable bond.”
Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on Friends.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Perry wasfound deadon Saturday at his Los Angeles home of an apparent drowning. He was 54. Law enforcement sources first told TMZ there were no drugs found at the scene, and there appeared to be no foul play.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The actor released his memoir,Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, in 2022. In it, he recounted his years in the spotlight, struggles with substance use, and romantic relationships that went viral. The timing of his memoir release was strategic.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,“he told PEOPLE exclusively in his cover story. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
