Matthew Perry talks about spending $9 million on his sobriety journey. Image Source: Parade
Matthew Perry talks about spending $9 million on his sobriety journey.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, actor Matthew Perry discussed how much money he spent on his sobriety journey ahead of the release of his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
Matthew Perry shared that he has spent almost $9 million or something to get sober. In his memoir, the actor has detailed his substance abuse journey as he started drinking at the age of 14 and later was addicted to painkillers that led to multiple hospitalizations and medical emergencies.
The actor revealed that he was at the pinnacle of his career, as well as the iconic moment on the iconic show, Friends. He explained that in the Season 7 finale, his character Chandler Bing was about to marry Monica Gellar, played by Courteney Cox, and that as soon as they got married, Matthew Perry was driven back to the treatment center in a pickup truck driven by a sober technician.
According to Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry's substance abuse journey is the most difficult version of the disease, but what hasn't changed is his will to keep going, fighting, and living. The actress stated that she adores him and that they are like a family, concluding the interview with their iconic title song and stating that she will always be there for him.
In an interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC News, the actor mentioned that Jennifer Aniston was one of the co-stars who had reached out the most while he was struggling and said that he was very grateful to her for supporting him when his drinking spiraled out of control. Matthew Perry recently celebrated 18 months of sobriety, which states that he was newly sober for the much-awaited reunion of Friends that aired in May 2021.
During his interview with People for the cover story, the actor stated that the memoir is going to detail his decades-spanning journey to get off drugs and alcohol, mentioning that everything starts with sobriety. Matthew Perry explained that if a person does not have sobriety, they are going to lose everything that they put in front of it and added that their sobriety is right up there. Matthew expressed gratitude that he is alive as it gives him the possibility to do anything.
Jennifer Aniston said during an interview in 2021 that she didn't understand the level of anxiety and self-torture that Matthew Perry was subjected to if he didn't get that good chuckle or the carnage that he felt, but it makes a lot of sense. Furthermore, after the Friends reunion special episode aired, some viewers expressed their concerns and questions about Matthew Perry's health.
Director Ben Winston spoke out against "unkind" comments about the actor, telling the Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast that Matthew Perry was wonderful and that people can sometimes be unkind, which he wishes they wouldn't be. Ben Winston stated that he enjoyed working with him and that he is a brilliantly funny man who had some wonderful one-liners in the show. Ben stated that he felt happy and fortunate to be in his appearance and direct him on a subject like this.
Friends executive producer and director Kevin Bright said in another interview with THR that he spoke with Matthew and it was great to see him again. And what people say is what people say; he has absolutely nothing to say about it other than it was great to see him. Kevin also stated that he believes he is very humorous on the show. But he did mention that Matthew Perry is fine because he appears stronger and better than the last time he saw him, and he is excited about the future.
On asking why he finally decided to put his life on a piece of paper, Matthew Perry said that he wanted to share when he was safe from going into the dark side of everything again and he had to wait until he was pretty sober to write it all down. He added that he decided to write his life on a piece of paper in the hope that it’s going to help people understand the people who struggle with substance abuse and also help those struggling with substance abuse know that they are not alone.
The actor also announced on social media that he will be going on a book tour to promote his memoir and talk about his struggles, as well as, of course, friends, with special guests in various cities. There is also going to be a live stream for the fans to watch him. The actor will begin his month-long tour in New York in November and end in Toronto, with two events already sold out in New Jersey and Canada.
Matthew Perry's memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, is available Nov. 1.
Please call the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP if you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse.
