The three-part documentary series The One About Matthew Perry arrives on Netflix on Oct. 27, featuring never-before-heard testimonies from the late actor’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, and unreleased archival material from the Perry family. Directed by Emmy winner Mary Robertson and produced by Maxine Productions, the project explores Perry’s career on the sitcom Friends alongside his long-term struggle with addiction and attempts to get sober.
Netflix Documentary Details and Family Involvement
Netflix released the trailer for The One About Matthew Perry ahead of its late October premiere date, marking the third anniversary of the actor’s death at age 54 following an accidental ketamin overdose in Los Angeles in October 2023. According to a statement provided to Netflix and Variety, the series draws on firsthand memories from creative collaborators, close friends including Roger Castillo and David Pressman, and former girlfriends.
Perry Bowick, a licensed psychotherapist, writer, and speaker, speaks on camera about Matthew Perry for the first time in the series. “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” Perry Bowick said in a statement provided to Netflix and Variety.
Costs of Rehab and Thirty-Year Battle with Addiction
In the documentary, Perry Bowick shares that Matthew Perry spent roughly seven million dollars—an amount equivalent to 46 million Norwegian kroner—trying to get well. The actor was open about his health struggles during his lifetime, detailing a 30-year history with drugs and alcohol in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
“Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time,” director Mary Robertson said, according to Variety. Robertson noted that while millions knew him from his ten-season run as Chandler Bing from 1994 to 2004, the public only knew part of his story regarding his advocacy and personal battles.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Matthew Perry Documentary
When does The One About Matthew Perry premiere?
The three-part series premieres on Oct. 27 on Netflix.
Who directed the documentary series?
Emmy winner Mary Robertson directed the project, which is produced by Maxine Productions, a part of Sony Pictures Television.
Which family members appear in the series?
Matthew Perry’s younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, provides on-camera testimony and shares items from the family’s private archive of unreleased photos and videos.
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