Matthew Perry's sister reveals Friends cast's heartbreaking final act around his coffin at private funeral
The sister of the late and great Matthew Perry has revealed how his Friends co-stars bid him one final goodbye at his funeral.
Mia Perry Bowick is at the forefront of an emotional three-part documentary that delves into the actor's life and legacy, which debuts on Netflix on Tuesday (27 October).
She described participating in The One About Matthew Perry as 'cathartic', while explaining that she wanted to take the opportunity to allow the world to see her brother as 'a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction'.
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The hard-hitting documentary features moving testimony from those closest to Perry, including Bowick, his long-time friends Roger Castillo and David Pressman, and several other contributors.
The episodes explore the Massachusetts-born star's epic rise to fame, his personal relationships, the highs and lows of his career and his struggles with addiction.
Perry, who became renowned for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, passed away in October 2023 after suffering a fatal ketamine overdose at the age of 54.
In the documentary, Bowick revealed that her sibling spent a whopping $7 million 'trying to get sober' and opened up about what demons he was battling.
"My brother would talk about that feeling of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn’t quite fill," the psychotherapist, writer, and speaker said.
Bowick explained that he was willing to shell out huge sums in the hopes of getting on the straight and narrow, adding: "That’s how seriously he took his disease."
In The One About Matthew Perry, Perry's grieving sister also shared some details about the close bond he shared with his Friends co-stars, who he worked alongside from 1994 to 2004.
Bowick explained that the actor saw a lot of himself in his character in the hit sitcom and described them as 'very similar', as they were both guys who were 'sort of trying to distract everybody from how miserable they were all the time by being funny'.
The surviving members of the Friends cast - Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow - each attended Perry's private funeral in November 2023.
Bowick explained that it was a 'very small' affair that only 'close friends and family' had been invited to.
"I remember sitting in the front row with our family and seeing his mom and all the other siblings," she said. "And then the rest of the Friends cast all walked in together.
"I hadn’t seen them in easily 20 years," Bowick went on. "And Jen Aniston was the first one of them to come up to me and give me a huge hug, but they all did."
She then revealed how the stars then approached Perry to say goodbye for one last time.
"All five of them walked up to the casket holding hands, and just stood around him, crying," Bowick added.
Elsewhere, Perry's sister also revealed that she ended up laughing at 'the most horrible moment' during the funeral service as she felt his presence.
Bowick recalled: "He showed up right behind my right shoulder and goes, 'How f**ked up is this?' And I started laughing so hard. I was like, 'Oh my god - there he is!'
"Making me laugh at the most horrible moment, and also incredibly inappropriate for me to start laughing…But I just started cracking up. And I was like, 'Yeah man, this is pretty f**ked up'."
Perry's fellow Friends stars 'decided not to participate' in The One About Matthew Perry, director Mary Robertson told Tudum.
"We know the cast of Friends loves Matthew and are grieving in their own ways," she said. "We did approach them, and they decided not to participate.
"I feel so privileged and honored, though, by the participation of a producer and writer [Jeff Strauss] who worked very closely on Friends, and the photographs that were shared with us, [which] allowed us to offer a perspective on that sitcom that I don’t think you’ve heard before and that is quite intimate."
'Even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved'
Instead, Robertson focused on his 'real-life friends' who had 'decades and decades and decades' of stories to share about Perry.
Bowick said she felt it was finally time to share her treasured memories of Perry, adding: "It was a really beautiful way for me to learn about my own grieving process.
"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."
The One About Matthew Perry is available to watch on Netflix now.
Topics: Matthew Perry, Friends, Netflix, Documentaries
Olivia Burke