The sitcom about the lives of six reckless adults living in Manhattan premiered on NBC in 1994 and instantly became America’s most loved show. Three decades later, FRIENDS still continues to add new fans to its loyal base. One of the big reasons behind its timeless success is its relatable characters.
Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing is one of the most popular ‘friends’ due to his sarcasm-laced sense of humor, which he uses as a defense mechanism to battle his insecurities. Interestingly, Perry also had similar issues while growing up.
How Carrie Fisher’s Half-Sister Helped Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry published his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing in 2022.
Therein, the actor, who enjoyed immense success due to his 10-year-long stint in FRIENDS, chronicled his long behind-the-scenes battle with drinking and drug addiction. As per The New York Times, one excerpt from the prologue read:
“Please note: for the next few paragraphs, this book will be a biography rather than a memoir because I was no longer there.”
Perry had a tricky relationship with drinking since a young age. One time, he consumed half a dozen beers to calm his nerves after a girl shared her interest in hooking up with him. His idea of drinking too much didn’t work and his pursuit ended in failure, leading to Perry assuming he was impotent.
“I failed to make the correlation between the booze and my private parts not working,” he wrote (via Nicki Swift).
Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker came to the rescue of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia in on reel, but Carrie’s half-sister, Tricia Leigh Fisher, became a hero in real life for Perry.
She was dating him when he was 18. Despite worrying his confession might affect their relationship, Perry told Tricia about his “issue”.
Fortunately for him, Tricia reacted well and after questioning his self-diagnosis, she ended up becoming his first s-xual partner. He jokingly described the experience as “sheer glory for two whole minutes.”
However, Perry continued to struggle with feelings of insecurity, which affected many of his relationships. This emotional struggle also played a part in ruining his relationship with Julia Roberts.
Why Did Matthew Perry Break up With Julia Roberts
The Pretty Woman star dated Perry for six months between 1995 and 1996 after they got in touch before Roberts’ guest appearance in FRIENDS as Chandler’s childhood friend, Susie Moss.
According to a report in Mirror, by the time they filmed together, they were a couple. But the relationship quickly ended. In his memoir, Perry admitted he felt he could”never be enough” for the beautiful actress and felt she would break up with him.
To save himself from that situation, Perry sabotaged his relationship by pulling the trigger himself.
