Fans of hit sitcom Friends may be rejoicing over the reunion special, which aired this week, but the return of the show has also sparked fears over Matthew Perry’s health.
People were shocked when footage showing the stars reflecting on the series ahead of the special seemed to show the much-loved actor looking distant and unwell. When asked if he had taken anything from the set when the show ended in 2004, Matthew said, “I stole the cookie jar that had the clock on it,” and appeared to slur his words.
One fan wrote, “Hate to say it, but I’m sad and scared like hell for Matthew Perry.” Another said, “It pains me to see Matthew Perry like this, he just seems off, gazing at the void, speaking slowly,” while a third commented, “I can’t believe how Matthew Perry looks like [sic]… seriously it breaks my heart.”
Now, sources say the star’s concerned cast mates, Jennifer Aniston, 52, David Schwimmer, 54, Lisa Kudrow, 57, Matthew Perry, 51, Courteney Cox, 56, and Matt LeBlanc, 53, are rallying round to support him. Matthew, who famously played Chandler Bing on the show, previously endured a very public battle with alcohol and drugs, and was more recently hospitalised for three months after gastrointestinal surgery.
“While Matthew is in a far better place than he’s been in years, he still struggles with the after-effects of his battle with addiction,” says a source. “During filming for the reunion there were times when he’d seem like his old self and times when it was very apparent that he’s not the same Matthew. The substance abuse has taken its toll on him both mentally and physically.”
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The cast of Friends: Before and after
1 of 10Chandler Bing | Matthew Perry
After his role as funny-guy Chandler Bing came to an end, Matthew Perry went on to star in a host of A-list films, including a main part alongside Zac Efron in 17 Again. Sadly for Friends fans, he shut down a friends reunion in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2017 . He said, "I have this recurring nightmare—I'm not kidding about this. When I'm asleep, I have this nightmare that we do Friends again and nobody cares. We do a whole series, we come back, and nobody cares about it. So if anybody asks me, I'm gonna say no. The thing is: we ended on such a high. We can't beat it. Why would we go and do it again?"
2 of 10Phoebe Buffay | Lisa Kudrow
Following her 10 year stint on Friends, Lisa starred in a host of movies - including Easy A, alongside Emma Stone. In February 2019, fans went wild when Lisa reunited with former co-star Courtney Cox on Ellen DeGeneres' chat show.
3 of 10Joey Tribbiani | Matt LeBlanc
Matt swapped acting for presenting when he replaced Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond on Top Gear in 2016. But after two years on the show, Matt was replaced by Comedian Paddy McGuinness and former cricket player Freddie Flintoff.
4 of 10Rachel Green | Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston has gone on to star in multiple A-list films - and doesn't look a day older than her debut in Friends. The actress was even rumoured to have patched things up with ex Brad Pitt, when he was invited to her 50th birthday party in February 2019.
5 of 10Ross Geller | David Schwimmer
Ross - or rather, David - most recently appeared on our screens in series one of American Crime Story - which presented a dramatised version of the OJ Simpson trial. David played OJ's attorney and old friend, Robert Kardashian - Kim Kardashian's late father.
6 of 10Richard Burke | Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck played Monica's older boyfriend, Dr. Richard Burke in Friends, but he's best known for playing Frank Reagan in CBS's police drama, Blue Bloods.
7 of 10Janice Hosenstein | Maggie Wheeler
Janice was best known for her annoying - yet strangely loveable - laugh in Friends. The actress who played Chandler's girlfriend finally revealed the inspiration behind her laugh over a decade after the sitcom ended. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, she said Woody the Woodpecker gave her inspiration. She revealed, 'There was a character called Arnold Horshack and he used to laugh and he would say [laughs]. Then I grew up watching Flipper which was a fantastic show about a dolphin, and I was in love with that dolphin and of course the dolphin sounds like a dolphin... so I sort of say she's a combination of Arnold Horshack and Flipper and Woody the Woodpecker."
8 of 10Ben Geller | Cole Sprouse
YES, that is Ben. YES, we are as shocked as you are. After playing Ben as a teeny weeny tot on Friends, Cole took on a main role with his twin brother, Dylan Sprouse in Disney's children's series, The Suite Life. Now, Cole can be seen in Riverdale. The actor has clearly done well for himself - and has accumulated an impressive 24 million Instagram followers.
9 of 10Gunther | James Michael Tyler
Ah, Gunther. The fictional character may have never won over his biggest crush, Rachel Green, but actor James Taylor certainly won over viewer's hearts with his acting and top notch barista skills. In an interview for Digital Spy, he revealed that he got the job in the first place because he could work a coffee machine. He said, "I honestly always thought my Masters in fine arts would get me further in the acting world than knowing how to work an espresso machine! That was a happy accident and I'm very, very grateful to have had that skill."
10 of 10Emily Waltham | Helen Baxendale
Helen Baxendale recently starred in BBC three's drama, Cuckoo. But the actress isn't afraid to settle down in front of some lighter tv in her spare time. She told Radio Times, "Well, most reality TV is drivel. I'll tell you what I do really like: First Dates. It's positive TV – they treat people nicely, you come out of it actually liking them. There's hope for humanity in First Dates!"
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Perhaps tellingly, another teaser for the one-off special shows Jen, 52, reaching out her arm to comfort Matthew, when he welled up while reminiscing about his time on the hit series. And the source says the actress has been a real source of strength.
“Jen in particular was hugely sensitive towards Matthew,” says the source. “They had some really profound and deep conversations which appeared to help him enormously and he was very vocal about how appreciative he was of everyone’s continued concern, love and support.
In 1997 a jet-ski accident left Matthew addicted to prescription pills, and he suffered issues with alcohol too. The star has since been open with his addiction battles, admitting “I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop.” His third and most recent rehab stint was in 2011, to prevent a relapse, but in 2016 he revealed he couldn’t recall filming three series of Friends, saying, “I don’t remember three years of it… I was a little out of it.”
Although he’s found career success, starring in The Good Wife and upcoming film Don’t Look Up with Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew has been dogged by more recent health woes. In 2018, he had emergency surgery for a ruptured bowel and spent three months in hospital. But last year he found happiness in his personal life, getting engaged to talent manager Molly Hurwitz, 29. He gushed, “I decided to get engaged. Luckily, I happened to be dating the greatest woman on the face of the planet at this time.”
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The source adds, “Molly has helped Matthew hugely and his relationship with her helped pull him out of a dark place,” says a source. “But he still has days and periods where he struggles, and that’s very much part of the sobriety process.
“As well as supporting Matthew, Jen and Lisa [Kudrow] were heartbroken to think of him being in a bad place and even reached out to Molly and said they were there if she ever needed them, which she appreciated. Matthew has opened up to them about his sobriety too, which is a huge step and it’s brought them all closer together.”
Read more in this week's Closer magazine, out now