The 90s were the years of the series, and if there is one that stood out above all of them, it was Friends. Since its premiere in 1994, it reigned on television and catapulted its actors to the top, becoming known and remembered worldwide several decades later, reaching levels of fame and fortune that were hitherto unthinkable.
On October 28, Matthew Perry died after drowning in the jacuzzi of his home, leaving his followers distraught. Many of his colleagues have spoken since then, telling how he had gone through very difficult times, but revealing that he was experiencing a great stage in his life. However, George Clooney offers more details about Perry’s life that few knew, and confesses that his friend was not happy during his time in the legendary series.
The actor opened up last Tuesday in an interview with Deadline in which he talked about his new projects, but also about his career and moments from the past. Among others, from the series that brought him international fame, ER, which premiered the same year as Friends, in addition to being filmed on adjacent sets.
Perry’s death has left him devastated, especially because he got to know the actor in depth during those years they worked tirelessly and side by side. “We were changing the way television was made,” says Clooney, who also appeared in an episode of Friends.
That gave him the opportunity to realize that Perry was not happy. “I met him when I was 16, we used to play tennis together,” she reveals. “He used to say, ‘I want to do a show. I would be the happiest man on earth.’ And he got the best one ever. But he wasn’t happy. It didn’t bring him joy, happiness, or peace,” Clooney says.
The actors worked in the same studios, which was more complicated for him, even more so given Perry’s secrecy with his personal life and his inner demons. “Watching that unfold was hard, because we didn’t know what was wrong with him. We just knew that he wasn’t happy and that he had no idea why he was doing that, taking 12 Vicodin pills a day and all that stuff that he said [in his memoirs]… All of that breaks your heart. But it also tells you that success, money and all those things do not bring you happiness; you have to be happy with yourself and with your life.
Matthew Perry struggled with substance abuse for years, notably during his time on the famous television series. Perry himself acknowledged that he couldn’t watch old episodes precisely because it reminded him of that troubled past and, watching each season, he could know perfectly well what drugs he was abusing. Furthermore, Perry confessed that he did not remember three of the years filming Friends due to his drug abuse.
After years of struggle and stays in rehabilitation, the situation seemed to be overcome in recent years. At least that’s what those closest to him thought. However, a few days ago the final autopsy report revealed that the actor died due to an accident, but caused by the “acute effects of ketamine.”
A postmortem examination by the Los Angeles County medical examiner added that contributing factors to her death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (a medication used to treat substance use disorder). opioids)
