Matthew Perry Is Set To Tell The Story Of His Struggles Like Never Before
In 2002, Matthew Perry first spoke about struggling with addiction. He had been sober for about a year after going to rehab for the second time. He explained in an interview with The New York Times that his main goal was to be famous, and once it happened with the success of "Friends," he realized that fame wasn't satisfying enough to fulfill his life, and he turned to alcohol and drugs.
In HBO Max's "Friends: The Reunion" in 2021, the alum — who portrayed Chandler Bing — shared more of this dissatisfaction in life and the need for fame, particularly the need for a positive audience reaction. "To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh," he admitted (via The New York Post). "If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out."
After Perry stayed sober, he had the inspiration to help others who were in the same situation as him. According to I Am Sober, the actor donated his mansion in Malibu to house those who were looking to recover from addiction. His hope was to help those people kickstart their lives in the real world after recovering. The webpage also said that Perry had become a "figurehead" for addiction and rehabilitation by sharing his story and helping others. And it seems that the comedic actor is now furthering that title by releasing a memoir about his life.
Matthew Perry is ready to share his truth in his memoir
In October 2021, Deadline announced that Matthew Perry was working on writing a memoir about his life. The media outlet mentioned that the book will talk about what life was like while filming "Friends," as well as struggling with addiction. The book will also have a comedic twist to it as the publisher said, "We need humor, we need catharsis, and we need to agree on something — and Matthew's extraordinary story, told in his inimitable voice, is that thing."
Although the "Friends" star has talked about his addiction journey, he is now ready to tell all as his memoir, "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," is reportedly going into detail about it. "I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again," he told People. "And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people." The media outlet mentioned that the memoir opens with an anecdote about how he almost died at age 49 due to a colon burst brought on by his opioid use.
In conjunction with the memoir, which is releasing November 1, Perry is going on a small book tour titled "A Conversation with Matthew Perry," per the Daily Mail. He will be stopping in NYC, Princeton, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and Toronto.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).