Matthew Perry described his alcohol addiction as an 'allergy' he 'can't stop'
Matthew Perry described his alcohol addiction as an "allergy" that meant he "can't stop".
The Friends actor died on Saturday at the age of 54. Emergency services were called to his home in LA after he was reportedly found unresponsive in his hot tub.
The Emmy-nominated star had previously spoken about his drug and alcohol issues. Authorities have said it would be a long time before his cause of death was known but no illegal drugs were found on the premises.
Perry discussed his addiction issues candidly in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. He appeared on a number of talk shows to discuss his book, and broke down when Diane Sawyer showed him a clip of his stint on Friends.
READ MORE:
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
Perry struggled with addiction through his years on Friends (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)A clip has resurfaced on X, formerly known as Twitter, of a TV appearance where he is discussing his addiction. Perry said: "I'm a drug addict. I'm a person that if I have a drink, I can't stop."
He challenges a anti-drug campaigner Peter Hitchens, on the BBC Newsnight episode, who claims to believe that the addiction is a choice. In response, Perry said: "It is an interception of your mind and an allergy of your body. This is what happens to me, I start thinking about alcohol and I can't stop thinking about it."
He continued: "I am in control of the first drink, so I do all these things to protect myself from the first drink. But once I have that drink, the allergy of the body kicks in, this is all documented alcoholism proof, then I can't stop after that."
The episode of Newsnight was filmed in 2013. Perry was invited on the show to discuss specialist drug courts, where former addicts would sit as magistrates with the idea they would pass a more informed judgement on drug-abuse related offences for non-violent criminals, The Independent reports. Perry was in favour of this kind of criminal justice system.
He became a strong advocate for support for people with substance abuse problems in his latter years. He set up a centre called the Perry House, where men could go to get clean.
Perry admitted that he wished his legacy would lie in the work he has done to help people with drug and alcohol related issues.
Reflecting on his legacy on a podcast last year, Matthew admitted: "When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. And I'm glad of that, happy I've done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web...But when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won't happen, but it would be nice."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
