Matthew Perry - Star Image by

The Sad Truth About Matthew Perry's Childhood (nickiswift.com) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 14:45:04 UTC

Matthew Perry had a difficult childhood. His parents divorced. When he was only nine months old, `My father took me out of my car seat...(and) quietly abandoned me and my mother'.

He then had to split time between his parents from a young age.

How Matthew Perry's Childhood Paved His Future (Katie Doll) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 14:49:11 UTC

Perry often felt lonely and worked hard to get his parents' attention. He believes this may have led him to turn to drugs, fame and casual sex to feel less alone.

How Matthew Perry got cast on `Friends' (CNN) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 14:57:31 UTC

Perry auditioned for the part one week and the following week, the show `Friends' was launched. This marks the beginning of his star image being linked irrevocably with Chandler for the next decade.

Friends' Director James Burrows reveals why Matthew Perry and his character Chandler Bing were similar. (meaww.com) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 15:15:28 UTC

Perry himself admitted that he and Chandler were very similar. Friends' Director James Burrows said, `He was really funny. He was a little awkward, too. Chandler was awkward. And Matthew was awkward. So it was a perfect, perfect meld," said Burrows.

What Matthew Perry and Chandler Bing Had in Common by Friends' Director, James Burrows (msn.com) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 15:21:03 UTC

The similarities that Perry felt he had with Chandler helped him portray the character but also helped the audience believe the myth that Perry's private persona was identical to his public persona.

Why is `Friends' the most cult series of all time? (Vogue France) (2021)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 15:52:52 UTC

`Friends' gave Perry a global following. He appeared alongside his co-stars in 236 episodes over 10 years. This allowed his star image, as the character Chandler, to become cemented. During that time, his other television or film performances had much smaller audiences.

Matthew Perry death (bbc.co.uk) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 15:57:52 UTC

Perry did not remember the last three years of filming due to his struggle with addiction.

Perry felt the tension of keeping his addiction secret. His star image remain untarnished as the audience watching `Friends' were unaware of what effect Perry's addition was having on him personally.

Six Friends episodes that trace Matthew Perry's battle with addiction (The Telegraph) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:05:04 UTC

`In the season three finale, The One at the Beach, he was scarily thin because he was taking as many as 55 Vicodin a day.' Perry's weight fluctuated between 9 and 16 stone. At the height of his addiction, he also grew excessive facial hair. He was in rehab during the filming of his wedding to Monica. All this took a great toll on Perry and yet his star image remained the same as his addiction was a secret to the public.

Let Matthew Perry's legacy be those we helped with addiction. (independent.co.uk - Adam Bloodworth) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:14:17 UTC

This marked a change in his star image. He was showing a vulnerable side, a side of his private persona that he had kept hidden. This move towards becoming more authentic made him popular with people struggling with addiction or life itself.

Matthew Perry The End of Longing (Youtube) (2016)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:25:01 UTC

Perry wrote a play about an alcoholic called Jack. It starts with the words: `My name is Jack: And I'm an alcoholic.'

Perry began to try and reach out to addicts and felt that he had a new purpose in life.

`The thing that I’m most proud of in my life is that if a stranger came up to me and said, ‘I can’t stop drinking. Can you help me?’ I can say, `Yes, I can help you.’

Matthew Perry looks dishevelled in rare appearance (dailymail.co.uk (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:28:39 UTC

Perry was often photographed looking `tired' `dishevelled' and the media made comments about his weight gain and serious demeanour. His star image had finally broken away from Chandler Bing.

Perry turned his beachfront home into a sober-living facility for me. (google images 2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:33:34 UTC

'When I die I don't want 'Friends' to be the first thing that's mentioned, I want that [helping people] to be the first thing that's mentioned. And I'm going to live the rest of my life proving that.'

Matthew Perry: Friends star found dead at 54 in hot tub (The Telegraph) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:38:30 UTC

Perry's death was a `flashpoint' event and dominated media coverage globally.

Matthew Perry's Most Memorable Friends' Moments (msn.com) (2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 16:43:33 UTC

Posthumously, despite his wish to be remembered for his work with addicts, this does not seem to be the case. Perry had little control over his star image and after a decade playing Chandler Bing, he is remembered for this role first and foremost.

Matthew Perry Opens Up About His Addiction Journey: `I'm Grateful to Be Alive' (People) (2022).

201584471 — 2023-11-08 17:38:27 UTC

Perry was able to have a more authentic star image and gave interviews about his struggle with addiction.

Perry wrote a book called, `Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing' in November 2022. (google images 2023)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 17:41:56 UTC

Matthew Perry shocks fans with slurred speech in Friends union video (Youtube - news.com.au) (2021)

201584471 — 2023-11-08 17:55:19 UTC

Shingler, M. (2012) Star studies : a critical guide / Martin Shingler. London: Palgrave Macmillan on behalf of the British Film Institute. P.121-123

201584471 — 2023-11-10 12:06:47 UTC

Shingler writes, it can become, `virtually an impossible task to distinguish between the character and the star, the public persona and the private personality'. In Perry's case, people found it hard to separate Perry from his onscreen character.

Redmond, S. (2014) Celebrity and the media Sean Redmond. Houndsmill, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. P.2/3

201584471 — 2023-11-10 12:14:54 UTC

Redmond describes a `flashpoint' event when `particular celebrity dominates media coverage, producing an excessively focused global public’. This happened on Perry's death.