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Heartbreaking truth behind Friends wedding episode as Matthew Perry’s sister speaks out
Matthew Perry's sister has shared the tragic truth behind one of the show's most iconic scenes.
Perry died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54, having been found unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
It was later determined that the actor's death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, as well as the effects of buprenorphine, drowning, and coronary artery disease.
As Friends fan continue to mourn Perry, who was best known for the iconic role of Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom, his sister has revealed the sad truth behind one of the show's most-loved scenes.
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Mia Perry Bowick has opened up about the bittersweet memories she has of the episode in Season 7 in which Chandler marries Monica Geller (played by Courteney Cox), as despite it being one of the moments fans loved most, it came during a time of turmoil for her brother.
Speaking to People ahead of a Netflix documentary about Perry's life, titled The One About Matthew Perry, Bowick revealed that scene had been shot right after Perry left rehab, with his drink and drug addictions having spiraled between seasons 5 and 7 of the show.
She told the outlet: "We all knew how serious his disorder was, so there was this sense of, ‘Who knows what’s going to happen?’
"Watching that wedding, we all knew he wanted that in life. He wanted a partner, he wanted kids."
Perry had also addressed the episode in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, revealing that he was taken straight from the set back to rehab.
He wrote: "I married Monica and got driven back to the treatment center - at the height of my highest point in Friends, the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show - in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician."
In a trailer for the documentary, Bowick added: "All great stories have comedy and tragedy in them, and that certainly was Matthew’s story.
"My brother would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn’t quite fill."
She revealed that he'd also spent over $7 million on trying to get sober over the years, adding: "That’s how seriously he took his disease."
Perry had also revealed he'd been to rehab over a dozen times throughout his life, including during the years he had been filming Friends.
In an earlier interview featured in the documentary, he admitted: "I had people telling me to stop, saying 'You're going to kill yourself if you keep going like this,' and I just didn't know how."
The documentary, which will be released on Netflix on October 27, will feature archival footage of Perry, as well as interviews with his family and friends, and those he helped through his work with other addicts.
He had also said that is what he wanted to be remembered for the most when he died, over and above his work on Friends.
Speaking on the Q with Tom Power podcast in 2022, Perry revealed: "I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker.
"And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people. That's what I want.
"The best thing about me, bar none, is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, 'Will you help me?' I can say yes and follow up and do it.
"When I die, I don't want Friends to be the first thing that's mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that's mentioned, and I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that."
The One About Matthew Perry will be released on Netflix on October 27.