>> Stephen: HELLO, EVERYBODY. WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF
"FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING," MATTHEW PERRY.
IN 2019, YOU HAD A HARROWING HEALTH SCARE.
IT WAS A MOMENT OF A CAREER HIGH.
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PLAY OPPOSITE OF MERYL STREEP IN ADAM
MCKAY'S "DON'T LOOK UP." THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD? >> I GOT CPR AND THE GUY WHO
SAVED MY LIFE BROKE EIGHT RIBS IN THE PROCESS.
>> Stephen: MAY I ASK WHY YOU WERE GETTING CPR?
>> THEY WERE DOING A PROCEDURE BECAUSE I HAD PAIN IN MY
STOMACH. THEY WERE DOING A PROCEDURE AND
THEY GAVE ME PROPOTHOL AND MY HEART STOPPED FOR FIVE MINUTES.
>> Stephen: SO YOU WERE LEGALLY DEAD FOR FIVE MINUTES?
>> WELL, NO, I DIDN'T FLAT LINE BUT MY HEART DID STOP FOR FIVE
MINUTES. >> Stephen: WHAT'S THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND FLAT LINE?
>> I DON'T KNOW. >> Stephen: THEY DIDN'T WANT
TO TELL YOU BECAUSE THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
DID YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR JUST GONE?
>> NO, I WOKE UP IN A DIFFERENT HOSPITAL 10 HOURS LATER AND --
>> Stephen: AND MERYL STREEP WASN'T THERE.
>> MERYL STREEP WASN'T THERE. I HAD TO GIVE UP THE BIGGEST
MOVIE I'D EVER GOTTEN. I HAD FOUR SCENES WITH MERYL
STREEP. APPARENTLY ON THE SET SHE WAS
LIKE "MATTHEW? MATTHEW, WHERE ARE YOU?"
IT'S A COMPLETELY MADE-UP STORY. >> Stephen: OF COURSE, YOU
DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH MERYL. >> MERYL IS MERYL.
SHE'S OK. >> Stephen: ONE HIGHLIGHT OF
THE 2020 COVID CRISIS WE'RE ALL AT HOME IS THE "FRIENDS"
REUNION. >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
>> I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT BECAUSE I HAD HAD TWO DAYS PRIOR
A DENTAL EMERGENCY WHERE I HAD THREE BONE SPURS IN MY MOUTH AND
THEY HAD TO BE REMOVED RIGHT AWAY, AND IN THIS ONE CASE, I
THANK THE PAPARAZZI BECAUSE THEY WERE -- THEY CAUGHT PICTURES OF
ME GOING INTO THE DENTIST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE REUNION.
AND I KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING OFF WITH ME BECAUSE MY
MOUTH WAS ON FIRE, BUT I ALSO KNEW I HAD TO SHOW UP AT THIS
REUNION. SO MANY PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.
I COULDN'T MOVE IT OR CHANGE IT. I BASICALLY WENT AND DID THE
BEST THAT I COULD BUT I WAS ON SIX CYLINDER, NOT EIGHT, YOU
KNOW? >> Stephen: YOU GREW UP IN
CANADA IN OTTAWA, WENT TO SCHOOL WITH A YOUNG MAN NAMED JUSTIN
TRUDEAU. >> YES.
>> Stephen: NOW WHO GETS RECOGNIZED MORE IN CANADA?
[LAUGHTER] YOU OR TRUDEAU?
>> I WOULD SAY TRUDEAU BUT THERE WAS A BIG RUMOR ABOUT US.
>> Stephen: WHAT? >> I BEAT HIM UP IN GRADE SCH
SCHOOL. >> Stephen: DID YOU?
>> I DON'T THINK SO, NO. >> Stephen: BUT YOU'RE NOT
ENTIRELY SURE? >> MY FRIENDS BRYAN MURRAY AND
CHRIS MURRAY WHO WERE THE GUYS -- AND MYSELF -- WHO INVENTED
THAT WEIRD WAY OF TALKING, COULD IT BE OLDER IN HERE?
COULD IT BE COLDER IN HERE BY THE WAY?
IT'S REALLY COLD. >> Stephen: NO, IT COULD NOT.
>> OK. THEY TOLD ME WE BEAT UP JUSTIN
TRUDEAU. I BELIEVED THEM.
SOMEHOW HE GOT THE STORY. HE TWEETED ME.
AND HE WANTED TO HAVE A FIGHT. [LAUGHTER]
AND I SAID -- I SAID, "YOU HAVE YOUR OWN ARMY.
NO THANKS!" AND TE IT ENDED THERE, THANK
GOODNESS. >> Stephen: HOW COULD YOUR
WIFE GET WEIRDER? >> HE SAID WE ALL WANTED TO
PUNCH CHANDLER AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALL IN THE BOOK.
THE BOOK IS "FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG
TERRIBLE THING" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
MATTHEW PERRY, EVERYBODY. WHEN WE COME BACK, I GIVE THE
"COLBERT QUESTIONERT" TO JAMES TAYLOR.
♪ THANK YOU, MATTHEW!