Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Matthew Perry Book — Image: Flatiron Books.

‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’ by Matthew Perry

However, it was the role of Chandler Bing in the legendary sitcom Friends that really catapulted Perry to superstardom. Premiering on NBC in 1994, the show about six single New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Perry, who was only 25 years old when the series began, became a household name seemingly overnight alongside his fellow cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. And the momentum didn’t let up: by the series’ end, the finale episode drew in over 50 million live viewers, and each of the Friends cast members had salaries of over $1 million per episode.

Perry detailed his struggles with addiction in his memoir Friends, Lovers & The Big Terrible Thing. “I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” he says in a cover story for People. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.” He revealed that he had attended 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, been in detox 65 times, has been on life support and has spent between $7-$9 million trying to get sober.

His friend revealed that he wanted another prominent star to play him in a biopic he was working on. So who did Matthew Perry want to play himself on his biopic? Read more to find out.

Who did Matthew Perry want to play himself in his biopic?

Image Credit: ©New Line/courtesy Everett Collection

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Perry’s friend Athenna Crosby revealed that he wanted his 17 Again co-star Zac Efron to play himself in his biopic. “He said that he wanted to make a movie about his life,” Crosby said. “And he had worked with Zac Efron in the past on a movie, and he said that he wanted Zac Efron to play him as a younger version [of himself] and that he was gonna ask him soon to do that. He was just looking forward to sharing more about his story and his recovery from addiction, and really championing that cause to help more people, so he was so optimistic and happy about everything that he wanted to do.”

Crosby recounted their friendship and moments before he died. “He was doing great. He is a very funny person, as most people know him to be,” she said. “He’s goofy, he’s silly. He was cracking jokes the whole time. He was speaking to me about some of the upcoming projects that he wanted to work on. He was very optimistic about the future.”

She added, “He was talking about how there’s been a public resurgence of interest in him lately and how he was hoping to utilize that to have a second act in his career. He was happy as a clam. So, that’s the person that I spoke to.”

On November 1, 2023, TMZ reported that a mystery woman had lunch with Perry hours before his death. Crosby came forward on her Instagram to talk about her last interaction with her friend. “I was definitely not trying to talk about this,” she says. “I am an entertainment industry professional myself and I know that celebrities are very private people. I’ve met many [celebrities] in my lifetime and Matthew happened to be one that I knew personally, so I was never going to say anything about that except we went to lunch on Friday and low and behold somebody had taken a photo of us without his or my knowledge and it’s just been blowing up. People are speculating as to what he was doing that day before he died. And that’s the only reason why I have to kind of clear the air now.”
What was Matthew Perry’s cause of death?

Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festiva

How did Matthew Perry die? Matthew Perry died at the age of 54 from an apparent drowning, according to TMZ. The publication reported that the Friends actor was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

Initial reports claimed that there were no drugs found at the scene and no foul play was involved, however, an investigation into how Matthew Perry died is still ongoing. Having completed the autopsy, investigators are still waiting on the complete toxicology results. On November 1, 2023, TMZ reported that law enforcement ran a less-in-depth test on Perry which revealed he did not have fentanyl or meth in his system. However, it will take months to conduct more in-depth tests to see if other illegal drugs were present in his blood or if he took prescription drugs at a higher dose.

The medical examiner updated its online record for Perry on the afternoon of October 29, listing his cause of death as “deferred.”

“In cases where the cause of death cannot be determined at the time of autopsy, a deferred certificate will be issued until additional studies have been completed,” according to the LA coroner’s guidelines.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNN in a Monday, October 30, statement: “A bystander had brought the man’s head above the water and gotten him to the edge, then Firefighters removed him from the water upon their arrival,” they said. “A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival.”

After Perry’s death first made headlines, more information continued to emerge about his passing, with TMZ following up their story with details about the actor’s final hours. The outlet reported that Perry spent his morning playing pickleball and arrived home after a two-hour session on the court. When he got home, he reportedly sent his assistant out on an errand. When his assistant returned about two hours later, he found Perry unresponsive and called 911.

A rep for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the call without identifying Perry, telling Entertainment Tonight, “West L.A. officers responded to [a residence] at 4:10 p.m. for a Death Investigation of a male in his 50s.”

Warner Bros. issued a statement about Perry following his death. “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family,” the statement read. “The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Image: Flatiron Books.

‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’ by Matthew Perry

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For more about Matthew Perry, read his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing . The New York Times bestseller takes readers through Perry’s life and career, from his childhood dreams of becoming an actor to how he was cast in Friends to his struggle with addiction and his stints in rehab. “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” Perry writes in the book. Told in his own words for the first time ever, the memoir is an “unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny” account of Perry’s trials and triumphs. Described as an “unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening,” Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is a must-read for Friends fans.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, help is available. Call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential support.

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