In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death, fans are sharing an excerpt from a podcast interview he did in which he discussed how he wanted to be remembered after he died.
The actor who was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, died yesterday (October 28) aged 54 and was reportedly found unresponsive due to a suspected drowning. Authorities have said no foul play was involved, and no drugs were found at the scene.
Now, a transcript has been circulating from an interview Perry did last year with podcaster Tom Power which reveals that Perry hoped not to be remembered best for his role in Friends but for the work he did to support people living with addiction.
A few years ago, he had turned his former Malibu beach home into a men’s sober living facility called Perry House.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life but the best thing about me, bar none, is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say ‘Yes, I know how to do that,’” he said. “‘I will do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’ So I do that, whenever I can. In groups, or one on one.
“And I created the Perry House in Malibu, a sober-living facility for men. I also wrote my play, The End of Longing, which is a personal message to the world, an exaggerated form of me as a drunk.
“I had something important to say to people like me, and to people who love people like me.
The cast of ‘Friends’ – Credit: Alamy
Reflecting on his legacy, Perry then said: “When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web…
“But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice.”
Perry had been open about his experiences with addiction, which began in 1997 when he became addicted to pain medication after a jetski accident. He later revealed he was not able to re-watch episodes of Friends because it inadvertently gave him a timeline of his addictions. “I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 128lbs, I was on Friends getting watched by 30 million people – and that’s why I can’t watch the show, cause I was brutally thin,” he said.
He had previously said he couldn’t remember filming several seasons of the show and had spent over $9million trying to get sober.
Tributes have been paid to Perry from across the entertainment world.
Maggie Wheeler, who played Bing’s on-off girlfriend Janice Hosenstein, wrote on Instagram: “What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
While Perry’s on-screen mother, Morgan Fairchild, shared this statement via X/Twitter: “I’m heartbroken about the untimely death of my “son”, Matthew Perry. The loss of such a brilliant young actor is a shock. I’m sending love & condolences to his friends & family, especially his dad, John Bennett Perry, who I worked with on Flamingo Road & Falcon Crest.”
Meanwhile, Perry’s last interview before his death has also resurfaced, in which he gave advice to people struggling with addiction.
The post Fans are sharing Matthew Perry’s wish for how he wanted to be remembered appeared first on NME.
