A brave and honest account of addiction combined with a searing honesty about the true nature of fame and its ability to drive the ‘right person’ to the edge of personal destruction.
Feature image credit: Hachette Australia
CW: mention of drug addiction
Matthew Perry, by his own admission, is likely to be remembered (long after he’s gone) for his role as Chandler Bing in the 10-season television series Friends. However, that isn’t the driving force behind his autobiography – the first from a member of the illustrious cast.
While Perry does reflect on his time as part of the show, the focus of his memoir is of a much deeper personal nature: that of addiction, first to alcohol, then drugs (high-end medicinal painkillers, rather than recreational ones), all wrapped in the bubble that fame and fortune provided to keep the supply coming in.
Perry is a child of high-profile but divorced parents, who developed a fear of abandonment from cross-country unaccompanied flights as a child, as he was shuttled between Canada and the United States, from his mother to his father and back again. At 14, he discovered alcohol, and it took an immediate and lasting hold, which caused internal issues which were then “treated” with medicinal remedies that merely added to the problem.
With the equally addictive desire to achieve fame driving him forward, Perry secured the set-for-life role in Friends, but it would only set him up for disaster. What followed was almost a decade of destructive behaviour, failed relationships and, ultimately, several near-death experiences. It also cost him around $7 million (yes, you read that correctly) in unsuccessful rehab fees. These experiences ultimately led him to what, where, and who he is today.
Perry’s memoir format is chaptered, looking at his familial, friendship, and romantic relations, and the impact his damaged psyche had on all of them. These are broken up with interludes that speak more directly to the aspects of addiction which he has ridden like a demonic rollercoaster. Many of these interludes provide a differing viewpoint and context, while others provide less clarity and more repetition. Thankfully, they are brief, not overtly detracting from the power of his honesty.
This is not a book for the Chandler Bing lovers wanting to hear of the camaraderie of the cast, the thrill of the guest stars (several of whom came about due to their personal relationship with Perry), and the wave of success over the 10 seasons.
Perry has written this book as a manual of addiction acceptance and support. He has helped many people overcome theirs, while consistently failing to overcome his own. It is also a cautionary tale of the price of fame on someone who is ill-equipped to handle it, and makes choices leading to personal consequences that no amount of money can repair.
Ultimately, this book is a brave and honest reflection on a life that, as Perry states, could (and, indeed, should) have been so much better, had he been able to see things more clearly, without the alcohol and drug-induced haze.
This reader/reviewer hopes that his book helps Matthew Perry, as much as it has the potential to guide others through the dark and into the light.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Hachette Australia
Released: November 2022
RRP: $34.99
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