Courteney Cox has discussed how much “pressure” her Friends co-star Matthew Perry put himself under while playing Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom.
The actors, along with Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc, shot to fame for their roles in the Nineties comedy.
In a new interview, Cox discussed comments Perry had made in the Friends reunion special last year. In the programme, he admitted he had desperately fed off the live audience’s reaction during filming. “For me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh,” he said, describing how he’d “freak out” if a line fell flat.
“That was a lot of pressure he put on himself,” Cox told The Sunday Times. “That’s a lot to think how much he relied on that for his own self-worth.”
Perry has been open in recent years about his substance abuse and alcohol issues. “He’s just struggled for a while. I think he’s doing great now,” Cox said.
Later this year, Perry will release a memoir titled Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.
Sharing a picture of the book’s cover on Instagram earlier this month, Perry wrote: “So much has been written about me in the past.
“I thought it was time people heard from me. The highs were high, the lows were low.
“But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldn’t. And it’s all in here.”
He quipped: “I apologise it’s not a pop-up book.”
Perry’s memoir will be released on 1 November 2022.
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In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
