It’s been 14 years since the six best friends left their keys to the purple apartment in
the NBC’s hit sitcom, Friends.
The show premiered 24 years ago and for ten years portrayed the lifestyles of six friends
who spent their entire adulthood drinking coffee at Central Perk.
Till date, the show stands out among other sitcoms of the same genre, thanks to the quick-witted
Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry.
The funny guy of the group left every viewer with ached stomach and watery eyes with his
hilarious one-liners and awkward expressions.
However, Perry’s real life is nothing like the character he portrayed for a decade.
From nearly being an addict to facing several health issues, his life has been like
a roller coaster ride.
Today we bring you some untold truths about the life of Friends star Matthew Perry.
But before we move any further, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and hit that bell
icon to be a part of ECF notification squad.
#4. Unexpected Addiction
In 1997, after being heavily injured in a
jet ski accident, his doctor prescribed him Vicodin, an opioid pain medication.
Instead of putting a halt to the use of the drug after the prescription ended, Perry became
addicted to the medication.
In an interview with People in 2013, Perry opened about how he felt during that time,
“I did and I felt better than I ever felt in my entire life.
I had a big problem with pills and alcohol, and I couldn't stop.”
His addiction was the reason we saw so much weight fluctuations in the different seasons
of the show.
While he always seemed so humorous and cool in the show, he had a completely different
life offscreen, as he told People.
“From an outsider's perspective, it would seem like I had it all it was actually a very
lonely time for me because I was suffering from alcoholism.
It was going on before Friends, but it's a progressive disease.”
His addiction got so bad that he told BBC, “I don’t remember three years of it.”
He claimed that he was never high or drunk on the set, but just incredibly hungover.
#3. Rehab Regular
After his substance abuse started having critical
impacts on his health, he checked himself into Minnesota's Hazelden Foundation rehabilitation center.
He stayed at the facility for 28 days and walked home a sober man.
In 1998, a year after rehab, he opened up about the experience he had in the rehab,
“I don't think there's anything in the world that I can't face, having faced that,"
he added.
"That was the scariest thing that's ever happened to me.
You get a whole new respect for yourself and life when you go through something that difficult.”
He again entered rehab in February 2001.
During his second trip, Friends was still in production, but NBC officials said that
they would not disclose even if treatment affected the filming schedule.
#2. Pancreatitis Hit Hard
Between his first and second visits to rehab,
Perry got admitted in the hospital for two weeks due to acute pancreatitis and lost 20
pounds in the process.
The condition was reportedly caused by his drugs and alcohol addiction.
"In my case, it was hard living and drinking hard and eating poorly," he told US Weekly.
"You play, you pay.
But there were no pills involved.
I learned my lesson at Hazelden."
A few months after his discharge from the hospital, he crashed his Porsche
into an empty house.
Luckily, he didn’t suffer any injuries, and he wasn’t under the influence of any
drugs or alcohol.
He told, "The irony was terrible, I was going to hang with my father at his place outside
L.A. I made the first corner around my house on these really narrow streets, saw a courier
van in the middle, swerved to the right and — well, I don't really know what happened
— I crashed into this porch."
#1. Gastrointestinal Surgery
On September 15, 2018, Perry announced on
Twitter that he was hospitalized for the last three months.
“Three months in a hospital bed.
Check,” the actor tweeted.
He recently underwent surgery in a Los Angeles hospital to repair a gastrointestinal perforation,
which is also known as a ruptured bowel.
May God bless you, Perry.
Get well soon.
Which of these facts about Matthew Perry you didn't know?
Let us know by commenting down below.
If you liked the video, leave a thumbs up and if you loved it, be a part of our family
by hitting the subscribe button.