Matthew Perry Reveals He Wished Friends Wasn't So Popular During Its Peak

Matthew Perry, the beloved actor known for his role as Chandler Bing in the iconic sitcom Friends, has revealed in a new documentary that he wished the show wasn't quite as popular as it was during its peak. This admission comes just one year after Perry's passing, as reported by Page Six ².

Netflix recently released a three-part mini-series documentary about Matthew Perry on October 28th, which includes never-before-seen footage from his family and interviews with his sister, father, friends, and colleagues ². Among these revelations, Perry shared his feelings about the immense success of Friends, which became a cultural phenomenon as early as Season 2's 'The One After the Superbowl', attracting nearly 53 million viewers ¹¹.

Perry's memoir, written before his death in June 2024, delves into his personal life and career, including his struggles with addiction and his journey towards sobriety. According to Page Six, the memoir is currently the No. 1 best-seller in television comedy books and is available at a discounted price ².

Despite the overwhelming success of Friends, Perry held a special place in his heart for the show's first season, particularly for the episode 'The One With The Blackout', where Chandler Bing finds himself isolated from the other characters ¹¹. This preference for a more intimate moment in the series contrasts with the broader cultural impact of later episodes.

The documentary also sheds light on Perry's personal challenges, including a period of comatose due to opioid use in 2018, shortly after his sister was granted power of attorney following her childbirth in the same hospital ². His efforts to overcome addiction were significant, with Perry reportedly spending around $7 million in pursuit of sobriety ².

These insights into Perry's life and career offer a nuanced view of the actor's relationship with both his iconic role and the immense popularity it brought him. While Friends remains a beloved part of pop culture history, Perry's reflections provide a poignant reminder of the personal costs behind such widespread success.

What we know

• Matthew Perry died one year prior to the release of the documentary ²
• Netflix released a three-part mini-series documentary about Matthew Perry on October 28th ²
• The documentary includes never-before-seen footage from Perry's family and interviews with his sister, father, friends, and colleagues ²
• In 2018, Matthew Perry was comatose due to opioid use and his sister was granted power of attorney shortly after giving birth in the same hospital ²
• Perry spent around $7 million trying to achieve sobriety ²
• Matthew Perry wrote a memoir before his death in June 2024 ²
• Matthew Perry expressed a wish that Friends wasn't as popular during its peak ¹
• Friends became a phenomenon as early as Season 2's 'The One After the Superbowl' ¹
• Season 2's 'The One After the Superbowl' attracted nearly 53 million viewers ¹
• Before becoming a phenomenon, Friends regularly had over 20 million weekly viewers ¹
• The memoir is available at a discount and is the No. 1 best-seller in television comedy books ²
• Matthew Perry's favorite Friends episode was 'The One With The Blackout', from Season 1 ¹
• 'The One With The Blackout' featured Chandler being isolated from the other characters ¹