Friends star Matthew Perry’s life examined in three-part Netflix documentary

Friends star Matthew Perry will be the subject of a three-part documentary series on Netflix.The One With Matthew Perry will feature “never-before-heard” testimonies from the actor’s sister Mia Perry Bowick along with unreleased photos and videos from the Perry family’s archive.The series will detail Perry’s childhood, his rise to international fame as Chandler Bing on Friends, as well as his struggles with addiction.According to Neflix, the documentary will also feature “people who knew him best”, although it is not known if any of his Friends co-stars will appear.According to Neflix, the documentary will also feature “people who knew him best” (Ian West/PA)PA ArchiveThe series will be directed by Mary Robertson, who previously directed Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV and produced the documentary Framing Britney Spears.Perry Bowick said in a statement: “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.“As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.“Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved.“I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”Robertson added: “Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time.“Through his many films, TV, and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone.“He also gave us so much more by bravely speaking about addiction. Yet the public only knew part of his story.Read More“That’s why we set out to make this series: to let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure.”The One With Matthew Perry premieres on Netflix on October 27 (Anthony Harvey/PA)PA ArchiveFriends, which aired from 1994 to 2004, followed the lives of six friends in New York City, played by Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.Perry was also known for appearances in films including Fools Rush In (1997), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), and 17 Again (2009).The actor, who struggled with addiction for much of his life, died from an accidental overdose in October 2023.Perry’s former live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who had a central role in the Friends star’s descent into ketamine addiction and injected him with the fatal dose of the drug, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison.In the final days of Perry’s life, Iwamasa was injecting him six to eight times per day.On October 23, 2023, he gave the actor a large dose and left to run errands. He returned to find Perry dead in the hot tub.The LA County medical examiner found that ketamine was the primary cause of death and drowning was a secondary cause.At first, Iwamasa lied to police, omitting ketamine from the list of medications Perry was using and saying nothing about his injections, but when investigators served a search warrant in January 2024, he began coming clean.The One With Matthew Perry premieres on Netflix on October 27.