Matthew Perry's sister makes heartbreaking admission about watching Chandler's wedding in Friends
Matthew Perry’s sister has made a heartbreaking admission about watching her brother get married on-screen in Friends.
Perry played Chandler Bing in the long-running sitcom across its entire run, alongside Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow.
In 2001, millions of viewers tuned in to watch the season seven finale, which saw Perry’s character tie the knot with his long-term on-screen partner Monica (played by Cox) in one of the series most beloved episodes.
But it was a very different story behind the scenes, with Perry, who struggled with addiction throughout his adult life, revealing in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing that he was ‘driven back to the treatment centre’ as soon as the filming for Chandler and Monica’s wedding had ended.
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“I married Monica and got driven back to the treatment centre — at the height of my highest point in Friends, the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show — in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the iconic episode, titled The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding, was a bittersweet watch for his family as they didn’t know if they’d ever see him walking down the aisle in real life.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Perry’s sister Mia Perry Bowick said watching the episode had been painful for her family as they knew that marriage was what he had wanted in life.
She shared: “We all knew how serious his disorder was, so there was this sense of, ‘Who knows what’s going to happen?’
“When we saw that wedding, we all knew that he had wanted that in life; he wanted a partner and he wanted children.”
Perry tragically died in October 2023 from a fatal ketamine overdose. He was just 54.
Despite having several high-profile relationships, including dating Hollywood star Julia Roberts and Yasmine Bleeth, Perry never married or had children.
The actor’s life, including his rise to fame and subsequent addiction struggles, is set to become the focus of a new three-part documentary landing on Netflix later this month.
The One About Matthew Perry features interviews with his sister Perry Bowick and his lifelong best friends, as well as previously unseen family photos and videos.
“It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” Perry Bowick said.
“As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life. Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
All three parts of The One About Matthew Perry arrive on Netflix on 27 October.
Topics: Matthew Perry, Friends, TV and Film, Celebrity
Claire Reid