The late Matthew Perry spent a staggering $7 million on his journey to achieve sobriety, according to his sister, Mia Perry Bowick. This heartbreaking revelation comes in the newly released trailer for an upcoming Netflix documentary series exploring the life and legacy of the beloved actor.
Titled The One About Matthew Perry, the three-part programme will premiere globally on October 27, just one day before the third anniversary of his tragic passing. The series promises an intimate look at the man who became a global icon playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends.
Speaking candidly in the trailer, Mia shares insight into the immense toll addiction took on her brother. "He spent $7 million trying to get sober," she reveals. "That's how seriously he took his disease".
She also touches upon the profound emotional struggles that accompanied his famous sense of humour. "All great stories have comedy and tragedy in them, and that certainly was Matthew's story," she continues. "He would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn't quite fill."
Matthew died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. His death was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, with contributing factors including drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine. His struggles with substance abuse began after a 1997 jet ski accident led to a dependency on prescription painkillers.
Despite his success, Matthew was open about fame failing to cure his inner demons. In archival footage featured in the documentary, he admits he desperately wanted to be famous. "I was extremely happy when I got famous," he says. "But God didn't forget the other part... Then it was like, 'Uh-oh, this didn't fix what was inside of me. This didn't do what I thought it was gonna do'". He confessed that while people urged him to stop, he "just didn't know how".
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Mary Robertson, the series features interviews with close friends, former girlfriends and industry figures like Warren Littlefield. It aims to reveal the real Matthew—generous, funny, vulnerable and deeply missed by fans worldwide.
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