Friends creator Marta Kauffman reveals she was ‘concerned’ about Matthew Perry ahead of the 2021 reunion over fears pain relief for surgery would see him spiral back into addiction
Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman has admitted she was ‘worried’ about Matthew Perry becoming addicted again ahead of the sitcom’s 2021 reunion after he was forced to undergo emergency surgery.
Kauffman paid tribute on Wednesday’s Today show to Perry, who died last Saturday in a hot tub at his LA home, and recalled her fears for his health, claiming that the star, who played Chandler Bing in the TV sitcom , was given ‘opioids for pain.’
“Yes, I was worried about him,” she said of the actor who was newly sober when the shooting took place.
“Knowing that he’s been through everything he’s been through, and every time he has surgery, they give him opioids for the pain, and the cycle starts over again.
Matthew Perry died on October 28 at the age of 54 from an apparent drowning in his hot tub
Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman has admitted she was ‘concerned’ about Perry ahead of the sitcom’s 2021 reunion
“So yeah, I was concerned about what point in the cycle he was at at the time.”
Perry, whose colon burst in 2018 due to opioid overuse, sparked concern after he appeared to slur his words in a video promoting the long-awaited reunion.
He later revealed that he had undergone dental surgery just days before filming, telling Diane Sawyer in a 2022 interview that the procedure “made (his) mouth feel like fire.”
The Friends reunion was hosted by James Corden and released on HBO Max in May 2021.
In the special, the main cast – Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and Courteney Cox – revisited the sets of the groundbreaking ’90s sitcom, reenacting scenes and meeting the guest stars.
It also marked Perry’s last on-screen appearance before his death.
Perry has been outspoken about his addiction issues, revealing in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, that he went to rehab multiple times, spent thousands of hours at AA meetings and wasted millions of dollars in his attempts to kick the habit .
He said he overcame his addiction in 2021 and has been living a healthier lifestyle in recent months.
“He was happy and cheerful,” Marta – pictured with Perry in 2004 – said of their last conversation. ‘He didn’t seem to be bothered by anything. He was really in a good place.”
Perry (second from left) played Chandler Bing in all 10 seasons of Friends, alongside (L-R) Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc
Elsewhere during the interview, Kauffman also revealed that she spoke to the actor just two weeks before he died.
“It was great, he was happy and cheerful,” she explained.
‘He didn’t seem to be bothered by anything. He was really in a good place, which is why this seems so unfair.”
News of Perry’s death sent shockwaves around the world.
He was discovered unconscious in his jacuzzi by his assistant, who frantically called 911 and lifted his head in an attempt to give him some air.
But by the time Los Angeles firefighters arrived at the Friends star’s home in the Pacific Palisades, they said he was already dead.
An initial autopsy result has been ‘delayed’, with tests showing no meth or fentanyl in his system. More toxicology reports will follow.
Kauffman and fellow Friends co-creator David Crane released a joint statement in the wake of his sudden death, along with series director Kevin Bright.
They remembered Perry for his “blinding intelligence” and for always being “the funniest person in the room.”
“We are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved friend Matthew,” they told Deadline. ‘It still seems impossible.
The cast of Friends at their 2021 reunion, hosted by James Corden, was Perry’s final on-screen appearance
During the special, the main cast revisited the sets of the original show, met the guest stars and reenacted scenes.
“All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him in our lives.
‘He was a brilliant talent. It’s a cliché to say that an actor makes a role his own, but in Matthew’s case, there are no better words.
“From the day we first heard him play the role of Chandler Bing, there was no one else for us.
“We will always cherish the joy, light and dazzling intelligence he brought in every moment – not only to his work, but to life.
“He was always the funniest person in the room. In fact, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.”
Playing on the famous episode titles in Friends, they added: “We send all our love to his family and friends. This is truly the one where our hearts are broken.”
The cast also released a statement, saying they were “so utterly devastated.”
“We are more than just castmates, we are family,” they said. “There is so much to say, but now we are going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”