Matthew Perry Opens Up About Drug Addiction During His ‘Friends’ Days

Matthew Perry said he was “a sick guy” during his acting stint on the sitcom Friends as drug and alcohol addiction took over his life.

Perry’s battles with drugs were well known during his run on the hit show, and several times he went to rehab for treatment. But Perry unveiled the depths of his addictions during a recent interview with ABC News, saying that problems with drugs and alcohol followed him throughout the tenure of the show.

“Mostly it was drinking, you know, and opiates,” Perry told ABC. “I think I was pretty good at hiding it but, you know, eventually people were aware.”

Though the media often reported on his trips to rehab and weight fluctuations caused by drugs, Matthew Perry said he became good at hiding the true depths of his addictions.

Eventually the media attention came to help, Perry said. The constant attention led him to try to get help, and ultimately caused him to team up with addiction specialist Earl Hightower. With the new help, Perry transformed his home in Malibu, California, to a sober living home for men called Perry House.

He and Hightower have even been honored for their work, receiving the Champion of Recovery award from the Obama Administration’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“We’re award-winning alcoholics,” Perry joked.

Though he has been living clean since Friends went off the air in 2004, Matthew Perry’s career has failed to gain traction. Despite a number of popular movies, the comedian has failed to latch on to a long-lasting sitcom. He has appeared in a series of shortlived shows, including Go On, which was canceled this year by ABC.

Though it was his last success on television, Matthew Perry has said he’s not planning on going back to Friends. Rumors have circulated at various points in the past few years that the cast is reuniting, but Perry told fans it’s not happening.