15 rehab visits, live-saving surgeries: Revelations from Matthew Perry's memoir
The late F.R.I.E.N.D.S. alum Matthew Perry, in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing (2022), had candidly discussed his struggles with addiction. While Perry's battles with alcohol and drugs have been public knowledge, his book provides a detailed account of how frequently these struggles occurred. As the world mourns his unfortunate passing, we reflect on the most significant revelations from his memoir.
Perry's road to addiction began when he was 14
In a 2022 interview, Perry said his road to addiction began in his teenage years. He confessed, "By the time I was 18, I was drinking every day." In his memoir, Perry wrote, "Acting was another one of my drugs. It didn't do the damage that alcohol was already starting to do. It was getting harder to wake up after a night of drinking."
Perry spent estimated $9M on journey to sobriety
Prior to the release of his memoir, Perry opened up in an interview with The New York Times about the financial and personal costs he incurred during his journey to sobriety. He reportedly revealed, "I've probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober." In the actor's memoir, he further expounded on the toll, stating that he is been through rehab 15 times.
'I've been in a mental institution, gone to therapy'
Perry's struggle with addiction took him to the edge, and he wrote in the memoir, "I've been in a mental institution...been to death's door." In his quest for sobriety, he made the difficult choice to enter rehab—a decision that required temporarily shutting down production of a 2002 film, which reportedly cost $650,000. Reflecting on this, Perry had written, "Small price to save my life."
Perry's near-death experience in 2019
Perry also stated in his memoir, "I had realized that my greatest fear had come true...I did this to myself." He also mentioned a near-death experience in 2019, triggered by his colon burst "due to opioid overuse," forcing him to undergo a seven-hour surgery. Although he miraculously survived, he fell into a two-week-long coma, followed by a five-month hospitalization. He endured 14 additional surgeries.
When Perry almost missed out on playing iconic Chandler
Perry almost didn't play Chandler Bing on F.R.I.E.N.D.S., as revealed by him in his memoir. During the auditions for what was originally titled Friends Like Us, Perry was already under contract for another show called L.A.X 2194. However, when L.A.X. 2194 didn't get picked up for another season, Perry was finally allowed to audition for the role of Chandler that would soon become iconic.
