A friend in need

Matthew Perry brought tears of laughter to viewers as Chandler Bing but his personal struggles were the stuff of heartbreak, as this documentary reveals

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He made the world laugh as Chandler Bing in Friends, but Matthew Perry's real-life story was far more harrowing than his razor-sharp one-liners ever let on. Now the late actor makes a posthumous return to our screens in Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy.

The hour-long film lifts the lid on Matthew's personal battles with trauma and inner torment. More importantly, the programme explores an addiction so relentless it shaped every chapter of Matthew's life - and ultimately ended it. With exclusive interviews with journalists, celebrity friends and law enforcement, the documentary also includes excerpts of Matthew's 2022 autobiographical memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, in which he recalled his rise to fame.

Born on 19 August 1969, Matthew Langford Perry was raised in Ottawa, Canada, after his parents' split. His mother Suzanne raised him while his father, American actor John Bennett Perry, was largely absent. Their relationship was strained and complicated by distance due to John's career in Hollywood.