The world is in shock today upon hearing about the death of one of television’s most beloved stars, Matthew Perry. The actor who immortalized the quintessential jokester Chandler Bing in the blockbuster sitcom FRIENDS broke hearts all around the globe with his untimely and unfortunate demise.
Perry’s death though, is a reminder of the troubled life he led despite making people laugh every day. The actor who faced many challenges with drug and alcohol abuse even while filming FRIENDS, had spoken on many instances about how these issues had affected his career and personal life. His struggles were not lost on his co-stars, with Lisa Kudrow confessing her helplessness and sadness on seeing Perry’s condition.
Matthew Perry’s Co-Stars Were Unable To Help Him Through His Addiction Phase
Day in and day out, Matthew Perry sent audiences into peals of laughter with his character Chandler Bing in FRIENDS. But off camera, the star was going through a trial by fire due to his addiction to drugs and alcohol. Even as he was filming the popular television sitcom, Perry struggled with his situation and went through severe withdrawal symptoms following his rehab.
Lisa Kudrow, who played the quirky Phoebe Buffet in the show, spoke of witnessing her co-star’s trauma on a daily basis, especially during the early 2000 season. She also explained the dilemma the rest of the cast faced due to their helplessness to intervene. Speaking to the New York Times, Kudrow said,
‘‘When Matthew was sick, it was not fun. We were just hopelessly standing on the sidelines. We were hurting a lot.”
Kudrow went on to state that despite facing so much trauma, Perry was one of the funniest people she knew, along with being a complete charmer and a perfect co-star.
How Matthew Perry Finally Got Sober
Between the mid to late 90s, FRIENDS star Matthew Perry was living his best life on screen through his iconic character Chandler Bing. Off screen though, the celebrity confronted numerous obstacles with alcoholism and drug abuse taking precedence. Perry went through a roller coaster of emotions while still continuing to shoot for FRIENDS, before finally entering rehab after harsh reality hit him. Speaking to the New York Times, the actor said,
‘‘I didn’t get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.’”
Mathew Perry went on to add that every day on the sets of FRIENDS became a physical and emotional challenge, owing to his addictions. The actor confessed that he forced himself to camouflage his inner dread through laughter.
