Matthew Perry was addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs.
Matthew Langford Perry was an American and Canadian actor famously known for his role as Chandler Bing in the famous NBC television sitcom Friends. Born on August 19, 1969, Perry began studying acting by the age of 15 and took improvisational comedy classes at L.A. Connection, Sherman Oaks.
Perry made his acting debut as a child actor through a short role in the 1979 show 240-Robert. He began bagging small roles in projects such as Not Necessarily the News, Charles in Charge, Silver Spoons, etc. It was through his work in Friends that Matthew Perry found global recognition and turned into an international star. He is also known for working in films such as 17 Again, The Whole Ten Yards, The Whole Nine Yards, Fools Rush In, and many more.
When did Matthew Perry turn into an addict?
Matthew Perry first spoke about his addiction publicly through his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. In the book, Perry revealed that he was exposed to substance abuse at the age of 14. By 18, he was a full-blown alcoholic and used to consume it daily. He also added that he followed in the footsteps of his father, actor John Bennett Perry, into alcoholism.
In 1997 while filming Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek, Matthew Perry had a jet ski accident and was introduced to Vicodin for the pain. The Friends star revealed that he got hooked on opioids within 18 months of its first use and was taking 55 pills a day. Perry also revealed that fans could recognize his addiction by tracking his weight fluctuations throughout the sitcom’s seasons.
In his book, Matthew Perry mentioned, “You can track the trajectory for my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season.” Perry also wrote, “When I'm carrying weight, it's alcohol; when I'm skinny, it's pills; when I have a goatee, it's a lot of pills."
Was Matthew Perry in a coma due to his addiction?
Yes, Matthew Perry was in a two-week coma due to substance abuse. In 2019, due to aggressive opiate abuse over the years, Perry’s colon exploded and slipped into a coma for two weeks. The actor revealed in his memoir that his family was informed he had only a ‘two percent’ chance of living. Perry was in the hospital for five months and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months. Explaining his horrific experience Matthew wrote, "My therapist said, 'The next time you think about taking Oxycontin, just think about having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life'.”
"And a little window opened and I crawled through it and I no longer want Oxycontin anymore," He continued.
Also read: What was Matthew Perry's cause of death?
How did Matthew Perry die?
Matthew Perry passed away from a ketamine overdose. According to BBC, Perry took one last dose of Ketamine (his third one that day) and it was a big dose. For the unversed, Ketamine is a prescription anesthetic used to treat depression and anxiety. Perry was found face-down in the jacuzzi.
The medics pronounced him dead on scene and the primary cause of his death was Ketamine. Perry passed away on October 28, 2023.
FAQs on Matthew Perry
A. Matthew Perry was 54 years old at the time of his death.
A. Matthew Perry’s parents are Suzanne Morrison and John Bennet Perry.
A. Matthew Perry was an American-Canadian
