Matthew Perry wanted to be remembered for helping others get sober, Hank Azaria has written, even as Netflix's new docuseries revisits the addiction at the center of his story.
Variety's review calls The One About Matthew Perry, which premiered Oct 27, a portrait of addiction. The series arrives on the third anniversary of Perry's death at age 54.
In a 2023 New York Times opinion piece, Azaria wrote that Perry told people he wanted to be remembered as someone who helped others get sober, even more than as a famous Friends star, adding that he believes Perry will be remembered as both. In a separate Instagram tribute, Azaria said Perry took him to his first AA meeting, went to meetings with him through his first year of sobriety, and "totally helped me get sober."
In 2013, Matthew Perry turned his Malibu home into a sober-living house. He also wrote in his memoir that he attended about 6,000 AA meetings. After his death, the Matthew Perry Foundation was created to help people struggling with addiction.
His sister, Mia Perry Bowick, said when the series was announced that she wanted him seen as a whole person, not just as Chandler and not only as someone who struggled with addiction.
Azaria did not take part in the three-part series, which is told mainly by Perry Bowick and his friends Roger Castillo and David Pressman.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, the free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline is open 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357.
Related articles:
- Matthew Perry's Prayer for Fame: Netflix Docuseries Revisits "God Did Not Forget the Other Part"
- Matthew Perry's Sister Says She Saw His Addiction as a "Terminal Illness" Years Before His Death
- Matthew Perry Revealed How He Encountered the "Presence of God" Before His Death
