Friends is without a doubt one of the biggest sitcoms to ever grace our television screens! Following its end back in 2004, fans of the show have been calling for a reunion episode or film, and while the cast didn't reprise their roles, they all met up this past May for the first and what will most like be the last, Friends reunion.
During the taping, Matthew Perry revealed quite a few tidbits of information when it came to his time on the show. While fans knew he suffered during the earlier seasons, Perry actually thought he was going to die while filming.
It is no secret that Perry struggled with substance abuse issues during the show, however, it appears as if things were far worse than he led on, especially when it came to season 3, leading the actor to wish he could re-do it. So, what really went down? Let's find out!
Updated on June 29th, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Following his jet ski accident back in 1997, Matthew Perry developed a dependency on pain killers, which ultimately sent him on a downward spiral, so much that he wishes he could re-do season 3 of Friends. During the reunion special last month, Perry admitted that he suffered from immense anxiety when it came to him landing his jokes. If the studio audience didn't laugh, Matthew Perry would "freak out", a detail his own co-stars didn't even know about. Luckily for Perry, he is doing stellar today and even has his own line of Friends merch for sale, all of which are some of Chandler Bing's most iconic quotes.
Matthew Perry got into a jet skiing accident and it led him to become dependent on painkillers. When people suffer through painful injuries like that, it is normal for them to get prescriptions for medications that can ease their pain.
Sadly, this is also an easy route to the world of addiction. Plenty of other celebrities in the world of acting, singing, music, and modeling have admitted that they struggle with addictions that got started in similar ways.
In season 3 of Friends, Matthew Perry was visibly thinner than ever before. He was almost unrecognizable because of how skinny he was! His clothing hung off of his body super loose and he wasn't filling out his shirts or pants in the best possible ways.
His weight loss was very noticeable to fans of Friends who were able to compare his season 3 look to his look from seasons 1 and 2. Matthew Perry was looking unhealthily underweight and it brought a lot of relief to his fans when they saw that his weight was starting to return to normal.
Reportedly Jennifer Aniston offered to help Matthew Perry with his weight issues during season 3 of the show. Jennifer Aniston is such a sweet and caring woman so it does not surprise us at all that she was willing to help her costar with such a public struggle.
She has always come off as being thoughtful and considerate. Jennifer Aniston ended up being the biggest star to come out of Friends with the largest net worth amongst the bunch and a long list of amazing movies under her belt.
Another reason we think Matthew Perry might want to refilm season 3 of the show is the fact that his eyes appeared to be a lot bulgier than normal in many episodes from the season.
Matthew Perry is an attractive gentleman and if he were able to refilm the third season looking his absolute best, he'd probably greatly appreciate that.
According to Huffington Post, Matthew Perry doesn't remember filming seasons 3 to 6. When he was asked about which episode from Friends was his least favorite episode, he couldn't give a proper response as he doesn't remember a lot of the scenes filmed.
He answered by saying, "Oh my goodness. I think the answer is I don't remember three years of it. So none of those!" he said.
In a super honest and candid interview with BBC, Matthew Perry claimed he was quite a bit "out of it" while filming certain episodes of Friends, however, it appears as if it went on for seasons!
The actor revealed that he was not in the best shape from season 3 to 6, forgetting a ton of episodes and scenes the cast did during this time period. If Matthew Perry could refilm season 3 of the show, we are certain he would make sure he wasn't out of it in front of the cameras.
After the show was completed, Matthew Perry admitted he had some issues with showing up to the set hungover. The actor went on to discuss his time on the show and while it looked like he "had it all", he was actually experiencing it as a "very lonely time."
Matthew was only 26 years old during the filming of the 3rd season. He said that finding recovery within the hardships of his alcoholism has made him a better person for being able to be there for other people.
After the 3rd season of Friends aired, Matthew Perry entered a 28-Day rehab program due to his Vicodin addiction back in 1997.
He was quoted as saying "mostly just to not drink as much as I was" in an interview with Larry King. He was open and honest about what he was going through during his interview.
During his time on the show, not only was Matthew Perry undergoing struggles with substance abuse, but the actor also revealed that he was very hard on himself.
Over the course of the 2-hour Friends reunion special, Perry revealed he also faced turmoil when it came to the live studio audience.
When it came to landing jokes, the actor made it clear that he would "freak out" if the audience didn't laugh at something he said, making him hyper-aware of his comedic abilities. This was the first time any of the other 5 cast members heard him express the level of anxiety he faced trying to be the "funny" character.
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