Matthew Perry opens up about his battle with addiction: ‘Being on ‘Friends’ probably saved my life’
Actor Matthew Perry, left, and his “Friends” co-star Jennifer Aniston, right, discuss a performance inside a house in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 12, 2013. They are hosting the 20th annual Tribute to Michael Jackson, and it is to be held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 17. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) less Actor Matthew Perry, left, and his “Friends” co-star Jennifer Aniston, right, discuss a performance inside a house in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 12, 2013. They are hosting the 20th… more Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Matthew Perry opens up about his battle with addiction: ‘Being on ‘Friends’ probably saved my life’ 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
One of the most popular television shows of the last 20 years may have saved his life.
Matthew Perry, star of such shows as “Friends” and “Desperate Housewives,” has struggled with addiction since he was 20. The show, which debuted in 1994, was his only refuge at the start of his alcohol-fueled descent.
“I had to watch it, I had to work with it. I had to learn the words,” Perry told The Los Angeles Times on Monday. “I was like, ‘This is a little too heavy. Is this really a show I want to be a part of? Did I really want to be part of this?’ But I had to go through this.”
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Perry’s decision to pursue sobriety has been the centerpiece of his “Friends” character, Chandler Bing. Chandler, who is very much in love with Chandler’s girlfriend Rachel, has been sober since 2013, when he checked into a rehab facility in Mal