>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY! WELCOME BACK.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOLKS, MY
FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTOR AND A WRITER YOU KNOW FROM "THE
WHOLE NINE YARDS" AND OF COURSE, "FRIENDS."
NOW, HE'S WRITTEN A MEMOIR CALLED "FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE
BIG TERRIBLE THING." PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE
SHOW," MATTHEW PERRY. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
♪ [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> I MISSED YOU GUYS. I MISSED ALL OF YOU.
IT'S VERY NICE. >> Stephen: IT'S VERY PLEA
PLEASANT. >> BETTER THAN BOOING.
>> Stephen: LET'S SEE. THE INTERVIEW IS YOUNG.
THE BOOK IS "FRIENDS, LOVERS AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING," OF
COURSE THE BIG TERRIBLE THING BEING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH
ADDICTION. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WE'LL GET INTO THAT MORE IN JUST A MOMENT BUT
THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M DOING VERY WELL. THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: VERY GOOD. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU. I WOULDN'T SAY THAT I'M A
NARCISSIST, BUT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MYSELF ALL DAY AND
I'VE NO VOICE LEFT. >> Stephen: THAT'S PERFECTLY
FINE. THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
>> OK. >> Stephen: YOU CAN JUST
WHISPER IN MY EAR AND I'LL TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU SAID.
>> OK, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. >> Stephen: YOU SPENT HALF OF
YOUR LIFE IN TREATMENT CENTERS OR SOBER LIVING FACILITIES.
YOU DROPPED $9 MILLION IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN SOBER.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SHARE YOUR STORY IN WAYS YOU NEVER HAVE
BEFORE? NOTHING CLOSE TO THIS!
>> MUCH LIKE MARIAH CAREY, IT IS TIME.
[LAUGHTER] >> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
THERE YOU GO, BUT LET'S HOPE -- BUT LET'S HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE TO
DO IT EVERY YEAR LIKE SHE DOES. >> THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S TRUE, AND I DON'T WEAR THE SAME OUTFIT.
>> Stephen: YEAH. >> THE REASON I DID IT, I NEEDED
TO MAKE SURE MY SOBRIETY WAS STRONG AND SAFE AND, YOU KNOW,
IT WAS A -- MY LIFE HAS BEEN -- HAS HAD SO MANY HIGHS AND SO
MANY LOWS THAT I FELT IT WAS TIME AND I FELT THAT IT REALLY
WAS TIME TO HELP PEOPLE. AND MY LIFE HAD GONE TO SUCH LOW
DEGREES WITH ADDICTION THAT THE LOWER THE SCALE I GO, THE MORE
HELPFUL I CAN BE TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE SO LOW.
AND I THOUGHT I HAD THAT STORY TO TELL.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE FEELING OF THAT TENSION BETWEEN
THOSE TWO RENTS? -- REALITIES.YOU HAVE YOUR PRIVE
FACT YOU'RE BEING ABUSIVE TO YOURSELF, USING PRIVATE
SUBSTANCES AND PUBLICLY WE KNOW YOU'RE THE FRIENDS, YOU'RE THE
FRIENDLY FRIENDS LIVING THIS WONDERFUL LIFE BUT ESSENTIALLY
YOU LIVE IN AN UNREALISTICALLY LARGE APARTMENT IN NEW YORK CITY
AND DRINK A LOT OF COFFEE. >> REMEMBER, THERE'S NO FOURTH
WALL. >> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S WHY THE RENT IS SO LOW. >> THAT'S WHY THE RENT IS
CHEAPER. >> Stephen: SO TELL ME ABOUT
THE TENSION BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS?
DID THAT TENSION TODAY SORT OF YOUR DESIRE TO USE?
>> IT WAS OFTEN -- I DIDN'T HAVE TO ADD TO ANYTHING TO THE DESIRE
TO USE. I JUST WANTED TO AND NEEDED TO
AND IT WAS A SECRET FOR SO LONG, AND ACTUALLY COMING ON TALK
SHOWS IS ONE OF THE WORST PARTS OF IT BECAUSE I REALLY HAD TO
HIDE THIS PROBLEM TO THE NATION, YOU KNOW?
>> Stephen: RIGHT BECAUSE YOU'RE YOURSELF AND NOT HIDING
BEHIND A CHARACTER. >> I USED TO THINK IT WAS
ESSENTIAL TO BE FUNNY ALL THE TIME, UM, AND HONESTLY I GAVE
THAT UP SORT OF IN MY MID-30'S. I DON'T HAVE TO BE FUNNY.
I THINK I'M ACTUALLY ANNOYING PEOPLE.
JUST BE YOURSELF. IT'S OK.
>> Stephen: DID YOU -- DID YOU -- IN YOUR WORK, BECAUSE
RECOVERY INVOLVES A LOT OF SELF-REFLECTION --
>> YEAH. >> Stephen: DID YOU EVER COME
TO THE REALIZATION OF WHY YOU WANT THIS SORT OF INTERNAL
ADJUSTMENT OF YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART AND YOUR SPIRIT THROUGH
THE USE OF, YOU KNOW, FOREIGN SUBSTANCES?
>> YOU KNOW, I -- I THOUGHT THE REALITY WAS AN ACQUIRED TASTE,
YOU KNOW? I JUST HAD ACQUIRED --
>> Stephen: NOT FOR EVERYBODY. >> I ACQUIRED VERY LITTLE OF IT.
SOME PEOPLE THEY HAVE A DRINK AND THEY FEEL A LITTLE WACKY AND
THEN THAT'S THE NIGHT FOR THEM. IF I HAVE A DRINK, ALL OF A
SUDDEN REALITY JUST MOVES TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE AND SO I WANT
TO DRINK ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY TIME I FEEL GOOD
AND NORMAL. BUT THEN IT TURNS ON YOU.
THE DRINK TURNS ON YOU AND SAYS, "WELL, NOW I'M GOING TO KILL
YOU." AND THEN YOU SAY, "WELL, HOLD ON
A MINUTE! UM, I DON'T WANT TO DIE, SO
LET'S GO -- LET'S GO TRY TO NOT DO THAT."
BUT I NEEDED TO BE LOCKED UP TO DO THAT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A FRIEND IN COMMON, CHRIS FARLEY, THAT
DID NOT MAKE THE DECISION YOU DID IN TIME.
>> YEAH. >> Stephen: AND WE LOST HIM IN
1998? CHRISTMAS OF '97?
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> Stephen: A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
WERE YOU ALREADY BATTLING WITH YOUR OWN ADDICTION AND USE AT
THE TIME? >> I WAS.
I WAS. >> Stephen: WHEN CHRIS PASSED,
IT WAS SO SHOCKING TO PEOPLE WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CHRIS' LIFE
AND WHAT HE HAD STRUGGLED WITH. DID THAT SCARE YOU INTO -- INTO
TAKING ACTION AT THE TIME? >> THE FIRST THING I DID WAS
PUNCH A WALL THROUGH JENNIFER ANISTON'S DRESSING ROOM WHEN I
FOUND OUT. I JUST PUT A HOLE IN HER
DRESSING ROOM. UM, AND IT -- YES, OF COURSE IT
SCARED ME. BUT BEING SCARED OF IT DOESN'T
-- ISN'T ENOUGH, YOU KNOW? YOU CAN BE SCARED OF IT BUT, UM,
IT DOESN'T DO ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, FOR YOU.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU GET SCARED ENOUGH -- AND I'M ONE OF
THESE GUYS THAT YOU GO, WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE!
THIS ALL WENT TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
I NEED HELP AND THAT ULTIMATELY SAVES MY LIFE, BECAUSE I GET
SCARED. >> Stephen: HOW MANY TIMES
HAVE YOU RAISED YOUR HAND AND SAID "I NEED HELP" AT THIS POINT
IN YOUR JOURNEY? >> 14, 15 TIMES.
>> Stephen: IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS TIME FOR
YOU? >> WELL, I'VE MANAGED TO BUILD
UP SOME TIME AND REALITY HAS BECOME AN ACQUIRED TASTE.
I'M HAPPY. I'M LIVING THE KIND OF LIFE I
WANT TO LIVE. >> Stephen: IS THIS THE FIRST
BOOK YOU'VE WRITTEN? >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THAT? HUMAN BEINGS OF ALL STRIPES
RECAST THEMSELVES ALL THE TIME. THEY RECAST THEMSELVES AS THE
HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY TO SAY, OH, I'M NOT THE ONE WHO DID
THAT. I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BAD
THING. HOW RELIABLE OF A NARRATOR ARE
YOU OF YOUR OWN LIFE DO YOU IMAGINE?
>> I THINK I'M QUITE RELIABLE AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME.
I BLAME MYSELF. I DON'T GO AFTER ANYBODY IN THIS
BOOK. I BLAME MYSELF FOR ALL OF IT AND
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY RIGHT. YOU KNOW?
I THINK -- I THINK -- I HAD PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT WERE
TELLING ME TO STOP. I HAD PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT, YOU
KNOW, SAY YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP GOING LIKE
THIS, AND I JUST DIDN'T KNOW -- I DIDN'T KNOW HOW.
LIKE, IF THE POLICE HAD COME TO MY DOOR AND SAID, "YOU'RE GOING
TO -- WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO JAIL IF YOU DRINK TONIGHT," I
WOULD HAVE HAD TO PACK FOR JAIL BECAUSE I WAS GOING.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK BUT STICK AROUND
BECAUSE WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF MR. MATTHEW PERRY,
EVERYBODY!