Before his death, Matthew Perry revealed the painful truth about what really happened on the Friends set—a story fans never expected. In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,
Perry opened up about his devastating addiction struggles during the show’s 10-year run, admitting he was so addicted to drugs and alcohol that he didn’t remember filming about three years of the series.
Perry said he was “stoned” during many scenes, often unable to recall what happened on camera. “I learned that a happy life is possible without alcohol or drugs,” he wrote, reflecting on how his addiction nearly destroyed his career and his life. Despite his struggle, he remained committed to the show, credits his castmates for supporting him, and eventually entered rehab in 2001.
Perry also revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes moment: he was the only cast member who wanted to join the writers’ room. “It’s not that I was allowed to, I was the only one who wanted to,” he said in a 2016 BBC interview. Hanging out with the writers and pitching jokes gave him joy and purpose during a dark time in his life.
Another shocking revelation: Perry requested and received the final line of the entire series. In the finale episode “The Last One,” Chandler Bing says “Sure” as the group leaves the apartment for the last time. Perry told co-creator Marta Kauffman, “Nobody else will care about this except me. So, may I please have the last line?”.