Matthew Perry 'Really Grateful' Jennifer Aniston Was There For Him During Friends Drinking Problem

Matthew Perry has revealed he is “really grateful” to former Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston for supporting him during his drinking problem while filming the sitcom. 

The Chandler Bing actor has filmed a candid sit down chat with acclaimed US TV interviewer Diane Sawyer about his addiction issues, a trailer for which dropped on Friday. 

The two-minute clip sees Matthew reveal Jennifer – who he calls Jenny – once confronted him about his struggles with alcohol, telling him: “We know you’re drinking.”

“Imagine how scary a moment that was,” he says.

“She was the one that reached out the most. I’m really grateful to her for that,” he adds.

The trailer for the interview – which comes ahead of the release of Matthew’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing later this month – also sees him admit he was once taking “55 Vicodin a day” in addition to Methadone, Xanax and a full 750ml bottle of vodka a day. 

Matthew also said there was a point in his past where he was “in a coma and escaped death really narrowly”.

Last year, Jennifer admitted she was surprised to hear Matthew’s candid revelations about the pressures he felt while making the show during the sitcom’s reunion special.

The pair came together with the rest of the main cast in 2021 for the much-hyped one-off retrospective, in which Matthew disclosed he would feel like he was “going to die” if his jokes fell flat, and would “sweat and shake” and “freak out”.

Asked about Matthew’s comments during an interview on The Today Show, Jen revealed: “I didn’t understand the level of anxiety and self-torture [that] was put on Matthew Perry, if he didn’t get that laugh, and the devastation that he felt.”

However, she added that the revelation “makes sense” in hindsight. 

Help and support:

• If you need help with a drinking problem, call the Alcoholics Anonymous national helpline for free on 0800 9177 650 or email help@aamail.org.
• For advice on how to reduce drinking, visit Drinkaware’s website or Alcohol Change UK.
• Find alcohol addiction services near you using this NHS tool.