6 shocking revelations Matthew Perry made in memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible thing

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to alcohol, drug addiction and death

Matthew Perry, the legendary icon, made an impact like no other. On October 28, 2023, Friends star Matthew Perry made the whole world cry as news broke of Perry’s untimely demise. In the wake of his memories, fans all over have been recalling some of his moments from the hit sitcom and other memorable moments.

The actor faced a lot of hardship in his life and was often a beacon of hope for those who struggled with the same issues. Last year, Perry released a tell-all memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in which he shared his journey through life and opened up about some of his most vulnerable moments. The memoir now serves as a memory of Perry and the legacy he left behind. Here are the top six shocking things that the actor revealed in his memoir.

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Matthew Perry was in a coma after his colon erupted

The actor began his book by recounting his near-death experience in 2019, when his intestines burst due to drug addiction.

Perry was in the hospital for seven hours for emergency surgery. His family was told that he had a 2% chance of surviving the night. He then wrote about how he had to live with the fact that his family had to hear those words. Despite surviving the night, Perry claimed he was in a two-week coma, followed by a five-month hospitalization. For nine months, he had to use a colostomy bag. After which, he underwent 14 surgeries.

Matthew Perry had spent a hefty amount on getting sober

Matthew Perry described his addiction experience as both difficult and costly. According to his memoir, the actor had spent up to $7 million attempting to become sober and had gone to rehab 15 times. Perry had spoken about his struggles with addiction at a number of events and in interviews.

Matthew Perry had almost passed the role of Chandler in Friends

Is it conceivable to imagine a world in which Chandler was not played by Matthew Perry? The actor explains that this was almost the case. At the time of the auditions for Friends, which was initially titled Friends Like Us, Matthew Perry was under contract with another show called L.A.X. 2194.

In his memoir, he wrote, “I was devastated. When I read the script for Friends Like Us, I felt as if someone had been following me around for a year. Chandler was my name.” Perry was eventually permitted to audition after L.A.X. 2194 was not picked up for a season. And the rest, as we all know, is history.

Matthew Perry wrote about having crushes on his co-stars

Matthew Perry co-starred in a CBS sitcom named Sydney with Valerie Bertinelli four years before Friends debuted. Perry, who was 19 at the time, had a crush on Bertinelli, who was 30 at the time and married to Eddie Van Halen. Before they met, he developed a crush on Jennifer Aniston, his Friends co-star. She had initially declined him but then decided to keep in touch.

Matthew Perry was in rehab during Chandler and Monica’s wedding

Perry claimed in the book that Season Nine of Friends was the only season he had shot while sober. Perry claimed he thought he was hiding his addiction from his coworkers until Aniston came up to him and told him everyone could smell booze on him. He wrote, “I married Monica and got driven back to the treatment center at the height of my highest point in Friends, the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician.”

Matthew Perry had a tough time after Friends ended

Perry admitted that when Friends ended, he felt nothing. He recalled waking up the morning after the finale, wondering what he was going to do next. Things looked hopeful for him for a time until he agreed to film The Whole Ten Yards, a sequel to the box office sensation The Whole Nine Yards. Unlike the original in 2000, the sequel flopped at the box office.

Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same. 

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