Friends: 6 episodes where Chandler’s on-screen look revealed Matthew Perry’s addiction struggles

Friends fans were heartbroken with the news of Matthew Perry's passing in October 2023, who played the sarcastic and witty Chandler on the sitcom.

While the actor's passing was hard news for his co-stars and fans, the late actor's struggles with addiction were well-known and date back to his filming days of the sitcom.

Perry was open about his alcohol addiction, which only got worse after he earned overnight fame as Chandler on the show.

To make matters worse, he was prescribed an opioid-paracetamol combination painkiller Vicodin, after a snowmobile accident, which furthered his addiction, leading to his tragic and premature death.

While Matthew Perry was silently struggling with addiction battles for many years, some Friends episodes paralleled the actor's struggles and were visible through Chandler's on-screen looks.

More on this in our story.

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6 Friends episodes where Chandler's on-screen looks paralleled Matthew Perry's struggles

1) Friends Season 3 finale: The One at the Beach

The Season 3 finale was the first time fans noticed visible changes in Matthew Perry's physique, as Chandler appeared noticeably thin in the episode.

Later, in an interview with journalist Diane Sawyer, Perry revealed that during that time, he was taking 55 Vicodin a day, which was partly the reason for his thin appearance. He admitted that he was 'out of control' and talking about his mental and physical state, he got emotional, saying:

"It's very hard to watch.''

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2) Friends Season 6 finale: The One with the Proposal

While this is one of the most important episodes for all Mondler fans, Matthew Perry was going through a hard time while filming for this episode. Fans clearly remember that Perry was red-faced and overweight in this episode, as he goes on one knee to propose to Monica.

Matthew Perry was at the height of his alcohol addiction during the Season 6 finale and was even hospitalised for alcohol-induced pancreatitis right after shooting the finale.

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3) Friends Season 7 premiere: The One With Monica's Thunder

While Season 7 picked up right after the Season 6 finale, with the characters even wearing the same clothes, Matthew Perry's Chandler looked visibly thinner than in the previous episode, which was a side effect of his hospitalization, as the late actor revealed in an interview:

"I must have lost three and a half stone in the off-season.''

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4) Friends Season 3 Episode 21: The One with a Chick and a Duck

Many fans didn't like Chandler's goatee in Season 3, where he gets a pair of Chick and Duck with Joey. However, that was not a character choice, but again highlighted Matthew Perry's battle with addiction, as he revealed in an interview with Sawyer:

“When I have a goatee, it’s a lot of pills.''

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5) Friends Season 7 Episode 23: The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding

The fact that Matthew Perry was going through a lot while filming for one of the happiest episodes for Chandler is painful to realise, but this is the reality.

During the filming of Season 7, Perry was admitted to a rehab centre, where a studio technician would drive him from Malibu to the set. The regular commute and the rehab centre had naturally taken a toll on Perry's health and he appeared tired, with visible bags under his eyes during Chandler's wedding to Monica.

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6) Friends Season 9 Episode 22: The One with the Donor

After filming for Season 8, Perry went to rehab and Season 9 is the only season of the show where the late actor was sober throughout. It clearly shows, especially in this episode, where Chandler and Monica plan a family together.

This was also the time that Perry was nominated for an Emmy and fans noticed that he looked much healthier and happier.

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