Friends star Matthew Perry recounts drug use struggles in memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing

Matthew Perry, the actor renowned for playing Chandler Bing in the sitcom Friends, has spoken about his problems with addiction in a new memoir called Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” the 53-year-old told People magazine. “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 added. 

The memoir will be out on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. 

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The actor revealed that his struggles with addiction lasted till recently as just four years back, at the age of 49, he was battling for his life and nearly died.  

“The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live,” he told People magazine, adding “I was put on…an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”

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The actor was initially hospitalised due to his opioid overuse but later suffered a gastrointestinal perforation that led to his colon burst. He was in coma for two weeks and spent five months at the hospital. He also had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.

Perry’s performance as Chandler Bing – the witty and sarcastic persona, made him extremely popular and famous. He almost became a household name then due to Friend’s popularity. 

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The actor told People that he was sober till season nine of Friends and his addiction started after he suffered a jet ski accident in 1997. He told the magazine that he relied on Vicodin and after the accident and had to take 55 painkillers a day which made him lose 128 pounds.