Matthew Perry's memoir bombshells: A year before the final farewell

In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor opens up about pivotal moments that molded his career and personal life. From battling addiction to navigating life in the spotlight, Perry, best known for bringing laughter as Chandler Bing on Friends, unveils the struggles that unfolded behind the scenes.

Following decades of navigating the ups and downs of his career while grappling with what he terms the "big terrible thing" of addiction, Perry is now openly looking back on his life in the public eye.

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Perry's Near-Death Journey

The actor kicks off his book by recounting a life-altering moment in 2019 when his colon burst due to opioid overuse, resulting in a near-death experience. Rushed to the hospital, Perry underwent a grueling seven-hour emergency surgery, and his family was given the grim news of a mere two percent chance of survival through the night. "I will have to live out the rest of my days knowing that my mother and others heard those words," Perry writes.

While Perry did pull through that critical night, he unveils the challenging aftermath, spending two weeks in a coma and enduring a five-month hospitalization. Coping with the aftermath, he had to rely on a colostomy bag for nine months.

Rehabilitation Odyssey

Perry acknowledges that his battle with addiction has been a challenging and expensive journey. According to the actor's memoir, he has invested over $7 million in attempts to achieve sobriety and has entered rehab 15 times (although he mentioned to the New York Times that the actual figure may be closer to $9 million).

"I've experienced stays in a mental institution, attended therapy twice a week for thirty years, and faced the brink of death," Perry candidly reveals.

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Almost Missed Out On Friends

During the auditions for what would become Friends, initially titled Friends Like Us, Matthew Perry faced a setback as he was under contract with another show called L.A.X 2194. "I was devastated," Perry reflects. "When I read the script for 'Friends Like Us,' it was as if someone had followed me around for a year... I was Chandler."

Fortunately, when "L.A.X 2194" wasn't picked up for a season, Perry was finally allowed to audition for the role that would ultimately define his career.

Emptiness Post-Friends

When "Friends" concluded, Perry admitted to feeling an overwhelming emptiness. "I couldn't tell if that was because of the opioid buprenorphine I was taking, or if I was just generally dead inside," Perry reflects.

The morning after the finale's filming, Perry found himself contemplating the uncertain future."With no ridiculously high-paying, dream-come-true kind of job to go to, and no special someone in my life, things slipped fast," Perry writes. "In fact, it was like falling off a cliff."