Matthew Perry, who died last week after drowning in his hot tub, admitted to suffering from anxiety two years ago.
The scare came when he tried to be as funny as possible in front of the live studio audience of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004.
The confession came during the HBO Max Friends reunion with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, which aired in May 2021.
Trying to be “big” made him extremely nervous.
And his co-stars at the reunion said they never suspected he suffered on set because he always gave such a fantastic performance and looked relaxed, they believed.
He was scared: Matthew Perry, who died last week by drowning in his hot tub, admitted to suffering from anxiety two years ago. Seen in November 2022
To be honest, the scare came when he tried to be as funny as possible in front of the live studio audience of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. The confession came during the HBO Max Friends reunion with Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, which aired in 2021.
“I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh,” he revealed on the set of Central Perk.
“And it’s definitely not healthy, but sometimes I’d say a line and they wouldn’t laugh and I’d sweat and cringe if I didn’t get the laugh I should have.”
Perry added, “I would panic.”
His co-star Lisa Kudrow was shocked to hear this.
She said Perry was always such a cool guy. And he was one of the best on set and always gave a great performance playing Chandler Bing.
At the time, Perry never said anything to his co-actors. “Oh yes, that’s how I felt every night,” he said, looking slightly embarrassed.
Perry died on Saturday at the age of 54 at his home in Los Angeles.
The star had prescription medication, including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, in his home at the time of his death, but no illegal drugs, a police source claims.
The law enforcement mole told TMZ the Friends star was also in possession of a prescription COPD medication.
COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with the medication found in Perry’s home typically used for people with emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
Perry was a smoker and also struggled with alcohol and opiate addiction, but claimed he was clean shortly before his suspected drowning.
Perry wanted to be remembered for helping other addicts.
The actor shared his wish in an interview in November 2022, which resurfaced after his shocking death.
So Much Pressure to Shine: His attempts to be “big” made him extremely nervous
It’s hard to be great all the time: . And his co-stars at the reunion said they never suspected he suffered on set because he always gave such a fantastic performance and looked relaxed, they believed. Seen with Aniston
In the chat on the “Q With Tom Power” podcast, shared by fans online, Matthew – whose drug addiction nearly cost him his life – talked about how he didn’t want his role as Chandler Bing on “Friends” should not be his legacy: “The best thing about me – bar none – is when someone comes to me and says: ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?'” I can say yes, follow up and that do. This is the best.
“And I’ve been saying this for a long time: When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing mentioned.
“I want it to be the first thing that pops up and I’ll have to spend the rest of my life proving it.”
Matthew admitted that despite his desires, he knew that his ability to help addicts would fall far short of his list of accomplishments when it came to staying top of mind with fans.
He added: “I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
In 2013, Matthew converted his Malibu mansion into a simple men’s living facility and named it “Perry’s House.”
Matthew also revealed that he has written a theater production about his battle with addiction.
He added: “I also wrote my play ‘The End of Desire’, a personal message to the world, an exaggerated portrayal of myself as a drunkard.”
“I had something important to say to people like me and people who love people like me.”
Matthew’s memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Candid, Darkly Funny Book,” reveals his addiction problems, which became so bad that in 2018, at the age of 49, he had a gastrointestinal breakthrough due to his extreme opiate addiction. use.
After a two-week coma, he was given just a two percent chance of survival and the actor had to use a colostomy bag while his colon healed.
Matthew revealed that although his body relied on the bag, he woke up covered in his own faeces 50 to 60 times in the five months he was in hospital.
IMAGE – In memory of Matthew Perry: A monument will grow in front of the friends’ home in the West Village on Monday
Matthew also joked that viewers can now see what drugs he’s on by watching his various appearances on Friends. In his book, he said: “You can trace the progress of my addiction if you measure my weight from season to season.” “If I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; If I’m skinny, it’s pills; If I have a goatee, that’s a lot of pills.’ Seen in 2004
He said: “I had sex all over my body, all over my body, in the next bed.”
“If it breaks, it breaks. They need to get nurses.”
He said that at the height of his addiction, he took about 55 Vicodin tablets a day and weighed just 128 pounds.
Matthew also joked that viewers can now see what drugs he’s on by watching his various appearances on Friends.
In his book he said: “You can follow the progress of my addiction if you measure my weight from season to season.”
“If I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; If I’m skinny, it’s pills; If I have a goatee, that’s a lot of pills.’
Source: Daily Mail
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
