A new documentary about Matthew Perry's life brings to light the career of the famous "Friends" actor, his long battle with addiction and the dark side of fame that failed to fill his inner void.
Netflix released the new trailer for the three-part documentary, "The One About Matthew Perry," on Tuesday, which chronicles the life and career of the actor who rose to fame as Chandler Bing in the cult series "Friends."
In one of the moments of the trailer, Perry's voice is heard, recalling a prayer he had said before he became famous.
"I said, 'God, you can do whatever you want to me, just please make me famous,'" the actor recounts.
A short time later, he got the call about the role that would change his life.
" I knew right away that my whole life was going to change. But God didn't forget the rest," Perry is heard saying.
Perry also confesses that, although he was excited when he achieved fame, he soon realized that it could not solve the problems he was facing.
"I thought this would do something else. But it doesn't do what I thought it would do ," he says.
The documentary candidly explores the actor's struggle with addiction and his many attempts at recovery. His sister, Mia Perry Bowick, says in the trailer that her brother's story was a mix of comedy and tragedy.
"Great stories always have comedy and tragedy within them, and that was definitely Matthew's story," she says.
According to her, Perry had spent millions of dollars trying to kick his addiction.
"He often talked about that feeling of emptiness, of loneliness, that he couldn't fight ," says the actor's sister.
Matthew Perry was found dead in 2023, at the age of 54. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, the primary cause of death was acute ketamine overdose. The final report also cited drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine as other contributing factors to his death.
Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy at the time of his death. His former assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the actor’s fatal overdose.
The three-part documentary "The One About Matthew Perry" will be released on Netflix on October 27 and includes interviews with friends, former romantic partners and colleagues of the actor.
