Matthew Perry spent weeks in a coma in grips of addiction that nearly killed him
Matthew Perry bravely revealed he once spent weeks in a coma during the height of his addiction battles in a bid to help others struggling with similar issues.
The late Friends actor, who was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, detailed just how close he came to dying as he struggled with drug and alcohol in his memoir last year, and recalled his family being told he only had a 2% chance of pulling through, after overusing opioids caused the actor's colon to burst when he was aged 49.
Matthew explained ahead of the release of his autobiography how he had to use a colostomy bag for nine months following the near-death experience and had undergone a total of 14 surgeries on his stomach - alongside 15 trips to rehab in a bid to conquer his demons and battle his addictions.
The Chandler Bing actor revealed how he first tasted alcohol at the age of 13 and by the time he landed his iconic role on Friends at the age of 24, his addiction to alcohol had already begun to take a hold on him. His first experience of opioids was in 1997 - three years on from Friends premiering and becoming a global hit - after he suffered an injury following a jet ski accident.
Matthew Perry's health battles coincided with his time on Friends (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
The late actor didn't remember filming several episodes of the hit sitcom (Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank)Looking back at one point during Friends' 10-year run, Matthew recalled taking 55 Vicodin a day and his weight dropping down to 128 pounds but yet he 'didn't know how to stop'. "The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live. I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that," Matthew began when sharing his story in 2022, going on to explain how he waited to go public with his experience until he was 'safe' from ever going to a 'dark place' again.
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"I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people," he added, speaking shortly before the release of his memoir, Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing.
He went on to explain to PEOPLE magazine how his problems with alcohol began to appear as he took on the role of Chandler in the iconic sitcom Friends, but he often managed to stay sober throughout some of the seasons aired between 1994 and 2004. Matthew revealed he was sober throughout the entirety of filming the ninth season of the show, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow and Matt Le Blanc, which was period of time he got nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002.
But at one point during his time playing Chandler, the actor was taking 55 Vicodin a day and his weight dropped dramatically to as low as 128 pounds - something that was noted by his castmates, who Matthew described as being 'understanding, and they were patient' throughout his health battles.
In the tell-all interview Matthew confirmed he was pretty healthy these days but opted not to disclose exactly how long he has been sober for - deciding to instead privately count each day. He shared how the the 14 scars on his stomach act as a reminder to stay sober and reveals therapists have warned him he will need a colostomy bag for the rest of his life if he ever relapses again - something which motivates him to stay healthy.
Speaking previously about his addiction battles, Matthew admitted he doesn't recall large chunks of his time on Friends. Chatting on BBC Radio 2 in 2016, he said: "I don’t remember three years of [the show]. Somewhere between Seasons 3 and 6 … I was a little out of it."
As Matthew and his former Friends co-stars came together once again for a reunion in 2021, but the Chandler Bing actor's appearance on the HBO special alongside Matt, David, Lisa, Courteney and Rachel sparked some concern from fans - who took to social media to claim the star was slurring at times during the broadcast.
Ben Winston, who directed Friends: The Reunion, hit back at the comments made on social media and stuck up for Matthew, saying: "He was great. People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren't. I loved working with him. He's a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this."
In 2013, Matthew spoke about the joy that can be found in soberity, telling the Hollywood Reporter: "I've had a lot of ups and downs in my life and a lot of wonderful accolades. The best thing about me is that if an alcoholic comes up to me and says, 'Will you help me stop drinking?' I will say, 'Yes. I know how to do that'."
*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email [email protected], message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
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