Matthew Perry Reveals Sobriety Journey in New Book: ‘I’m Grateful To Be Alive’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Actor Matthew Perry opened up about his acting career and substance abuse issues in a new memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big, Terrible Thing.”
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” Perry said in an interview about the upcoming book. “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.”
One of the biggest revelations in the book is that Perry almost died at age 49. At the time, the actor claimed he was suffering from a gastrointestinal perforation, but actually, Perry’s colon had burst from opioid overuse.
“The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live,” he shared. “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.”
Perry spent two weeks in a coma and five months in the hospital. He also had to use a colostomy bag for nine months.
The actor struggled with alcohol abuse throughout his time starring on FRIENDS, and at one point was taking 55 Vicodin a day.
Perry prefers not to reveal how long he has been sober, saying, “It’s important, but if you lose your sobriety, it doesn’t mean you lose all that time and education. Your sober date changes, but that’s all that changes. You know everything you knew before, as long as you were able to fight your way back without dying, you learn a lot.”
Now, the actor is determined to help others fight their addictions.
“There were five people put on an ECMO machine that night and the other four died and I survived,” he explained. “So the big question is why? Why was I the one? There has to be some kind of reason.”
He continued, “Everything starts with sobriety. Because if you don’t have sobriety, you’re going to lose everything that you put in front of it, so my sobriety is right up there. I’m an extremely grateful guy. I’m grateful to be alive, that’s for sure. And that gives me the possibility to do anything.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
