PHOTOS10 Things Matthew Perry Has Said About His His Health Struggles and Addiction Journey
Matthew Perry Wanted To Share His Story
Matthew Perry released his memoir in which he spoke candidly about his experience in Hollywood.
On November 1, 2022, Matthew Perry released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which disclosed the highs and lows of his career, and he particularly highlighted his addiction battle that nearly took his life.
In his interview with People to promote the book, he revealed that he wanted to wait until he was safe from going "into the dark side of everything again" before creating the book.
"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," he continued.
He Lost Weight After the 1997 Jet Ski Accident
He revealed that his alcohol addiction started when he was cast on 'Friends.'
Perry showed a worrying transformation on Friends when he appeared thinner than he used to be in one of the seasons of the hit show. According to the late star, he lost 128 pounds after the 1997 jet ski accident as he began taking 55 Vicodin a day.
"If the police came over to my house and said, 'If you drink tonight, we're going to take you to jail,' I'd start packing," Perry said. "I couldn't stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive. So it gets worse and worse as you grow older."
Matthew Perry Had Not Rewatched 'Friends' Because of His Addiction
He famously played the role of Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom.
In a separate interview with Tom Power, the Emmy-nominated actor spoke candidly about his drug use in the early days of his time on Friends and how he felt it was "unfair" that he went through the phase while his costars did not.
"I can't watch the show, because I was brutally thin and being beaten down so badly by the disease," Perry confessed. "I could tell season by season by how I looked, and I don't think anybody else can, but I certainly could. That's why I don't want to watch it because that's what I see—that's what I notice when I watch it."
He Spent a Whopping Amount While Battling His Addictions
He admitted to abusing several substances, including methadone, OxyContin, Xanax and methadone.
Around the time his memoir was published, he revealed he was reckless with money.
"I've probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober," Perry disclosed in his interview with The New York Times.
Despite depending on substances, he clarified that he was never high while working on the set of the series, though it eventually affected his performance.
Matthew Perry Almost Died During Surgery
He only had a 2 percent chance to live at that time.
In 2018, Perry almost died after he fell into a coma for two weeks when his colon exploded. His doctors put him on an ECMO machine before he miraculously survived. During the procedure, his heart reportedly stopped for at least five minutes after they gave him propofol.
"It wasn't a heart attack — I didn't flatline — but nothing had been beating," he said.
He Described Fame as Something Like Disneyland
He scored his first credited role in the 1979 film '240-Robert.'
The A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon actor told The New York Times in 2002 that he initially enjoyed fame as it felt like a Disneyland. However, things started going in a downward spiral when he thought he was not fulfilled.
"I didn't get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day," Perry went on.
His drug addiction began following a jet ski accident in 1997 that made him take Vicodin. His drug addiction then led to his alcohol abuse.
Matthew Perry Went Back Into a Rehab
Matthew Perry had an on-again, off-again connection with drugs over the past few years.
After getting sober, Perry decided to help himself by taking a break and checking into a treatment facility.
"I'm making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the world wide web," he said in a statement at that time.
Matthew Perry Received a Warning After His Colon Burst
He used a colostomy bag for months after the near-death surgery.
Perry's therapist issued him a warning after taking opioids that led to his colon bursting.
"'The next time you think about taking Oxycontin, just think about having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life,'" he quoted his therapist. "And a little window opened, and I crawled through it and I no longer want Oxycontin anymore."
'Friends' Also Became His Savior
He revealed that Jennifer Aniston kept in touch after 'Friends' ended.
While Friends contributed to his addiction issues, the sitcom became the same thing that saved him from the dark side.
Speaking in a sit-down interview on The View, the Mr. Sunshine actor said that he wanted fame so much only to realize that it could not fix anything. Fortunately, the show helped him with his substance abuse.
Perry said, "It did help me with drugs and alcohol, that job, because I said to myself on this amazing show, 'You can't have the 17th drink when you have to be at work the next morning with these wonderful people doing the job.' I had a deal with myself that I'd never drink or take anything while working, and I held up to that deal, but I was insanely hungover doing the work."
His 'Friends' Costars Also Helped Him
The coroner deferred Matthew Perry's cause of death.
In his interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, he expressed his desire to help other sufferers by sharing his story because his Friends family did the same through their love and support.
"Obviously, because I was on Friends, more people will listen to me. So I've got to take advantage of that, and I've got to help as many people as I can," he shared.
