Matthew Perry spent years making millions laugh, but his sister says he privately fought something fame could never fix. A new trailer for Netflix’s upcoming documentary series, “The One About Matthew Perry,” offers an intimate look at the late “Friends” star through his own words and the memories of those closest to him.
Perry, who died at age 54 in 2023, can be heard reflecting on the ambition that drove him long before he became Chandler Bing.
“Making people laugh — it’s a world that I want to be involved in,” he says in archival footage featured in the trailer, as reported by People.
“I said, ‘God, you can do anything you want to me, just please make me famous.’”
Matthew Perry Reflects on the Fame He Once Wanted
The actor recalls receiving the call that would change his career when he landed “Friends,” which aired from 1994 to 2004.
“I got a phone call [for the role], and I instantly knew my whole life was gonna change. But God did not forget the other part,” Perry says.
But becoming famous did not bring the sense of fulfillment he had expected.
“I was extremely happy when I got famous,” he says in another interview. “Then I was like, ‘Uh-oh, this didn’t fix what’s inside me. This didn’t do what I thought it was gonna do.’”
Matthew Perry’s Sister Reveals His $7 Million Fight for Sobriety
Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, speaks publicly about her brother in the documentary and sheds new light on the depth of his struggle with addiction.
“My brother would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn’t quite fill,” Mia says in the trailer. “He spent $7 million trying to get sober — that’s how seriously he took his disease.”
People reports that Perry previously said he went to rehab 15 times over the course of his struggle with substance use.
Friends and Family Remember Another Side of Matthew Perry
The three-part documentary does not focus solely on Perry’s addiction.
It also looks at his comedy, generosity and determination to help other people struggling with substance use.
Longtime friends Roger Castillo and David Pressman are among those featured, alongside people Perry met during his time in recovery, as reported by the Sunday Guardian.
Tim Harrington, who once lived with Perry, credits the actor with helping save his life.
None of Perry’s “Friends” co-stars participated, according to Rolling Stone, though members of the show’s creative team appear alongside collaborators from projects including “The Whole Nine Yards,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “Fools Rush In.”
‘The One About Matthew Perry’ Comes to Netflix
Directed by Mary Robertson, “The One About Matthew Perry” will premiere on Netflix on Tuesday, October 27, one day before the third anniversary of Perry’s death.
The series also includes previously unseen family photographs and explores Perry’s advocacy for drug court reform.
Perry died on October 28, 2023.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner determined his death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine listed as contributing factors.
The documentary arrives nearly three years later with those closest to Perry remembering both the pain he carried and the effort he made to turn his own experience into help for others.
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Matthew Perry’s Sister Shares Heartbreaking Detail About His Fight for Sobriety