Friends actor Matthew Perry revealed his new book will cover his struggles with addiction.
Announcing his book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, on Twitter, Perry said, "I thought it was time people heard from me. The highs were high, the lows were low. But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldn't. And it's all in here. I apologize it's not a popup book."
Publisher Flatiron Books, also confirmed, "In the book, Perry takes readers behind the scenes and onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction."
Perry, who has been sober since 2001, has been very open about his addiction struggles during the filming of Friends. Following a jet ski accident in 1997, Perry became addicted to Vicodin and checked in to rehab twice as a result. Since becoming sober, Perry visited Capitol Hill to support funding for drug courts and opened Perry House, a sober living home in Malibu.
Perry also noted that, due to his issues with substance abuse, he does not remember three years of filming Friends. When asked about his least favorite episode back in 2016, Perry told the BBC, "I think the answer is, I don't remember three years of it. So none of those … Somewhere between season three and six … I was a little out of it." During this time, Perry's weight also fluctuated drastically as the actor was hospitalized for alcohol-induced pancreatitis in 2000.
Friends aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004 and lasted for a total of 10 seasons. The series followed a close group of six friends who attempted to navigate their 20s and 30s in New York City. The show is often named one of the most popular television sitcoms of all time.
Last May, Perry appeared in the highly anticipated HBO Max Friends: The Reunion special, which saw the actor take a visit back to the iconic Friends set alongside co-stars Jennifer Anniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. The Friends reunion broke viewership records in the UK, becoming the most-watched show on Sky One ever.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing releases on Nov 1.