
Behind Chandler's jokes lies Matthew Perry's harrowing battle with addiction. His raw memoir shocked Hollywood, revealing near-death experiences while filming Friends. "I should be dead," he admits, sparking vital conversations about fame's dark side and recovery's fragile hope.
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While millions knew him as the sarcastic, lovable Chandler Bing, Matthew Perry was fighting a battle that nearly killed him multiple times. His memoir isn't just another celebrity tell-all-it's a raw, unflinching account of a man who had everything the world could offer yet was dying inside. Even Elton John called it "the most important memoir of our generation about the disease that affects millions." Perry's journey through the heights of fame while battling the depths of addiction offers a rare glimpse behind Hollywood's glossy facade. How can someone be so beloved by millions yet feel so empty inside? The answer lies in Perry's lifelong struggle with what he calls "the big terrible thing"-an addiction that began before he could even form memories. At just 30 days old, Perry was prescribed phenobarbital, a major barbiturate, for colic. Baby photos show him "completely fucking zonked, nodding like an addict at seven weeks." This foreshadowed a lifetime of substance abuse that would nearly destroy him, even as he achieved extraordinary success.