Matthew Perry has opened up about his battle with drug and alcohol addition, admitting that getting sober has cost him around $9 million.
The actor, known around the world to Friends fans as Chandler Bing in the hit sitcom, spoke with The New York Times ahead of releasing his new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. Matthew, 53, revealed that he had recently celebrated an 18-month sobriety milestone as he discussed his struggles to get clean.
“I've probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober,” Matthew said. The star recalled in another recent interview how his addition led to a near-death experience which gave him the wake-up call he needed, The Mirror reports .
READ MORE: New mam Charlotte Crosby calls motherhood ‘fairytale bubble’ in emotional Instagram video
The actor told People magazine of how he almost died after his colon burst, leading to him being hospitalised for five months with a colostomy bag. “My therapist said, 'The next time you think about taking OxyContin, just think about having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life,' and a little window opened, and I crawled through it, and I no longer want OxyContin,” he said.
Matthew added: “I'm an extremely grateful guy. I'm grateful to be alive, that's for sure. And that gives me the possibility to do anything.”
The star went into rehab twice during his time on Friends, for the first time in 1997 and then again in 2001. He has previously admitted to not remembering three years of his time on the series, “somewhere between season three and six”.
But Matthew has praised his co-stars - Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer - for their support as he battled addiction while working on the show. "They were understanding, and they were patient,” he said.
“It's like penguins. In nature, when one is sick or very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up and walk around until that penguin can walk on its own,” he explained. “And that's kind of what the cast did for me."
READ NEXT:
-
This Morning's Holly Willoughby 'refuses to watch' Netflix true crime series The Watcher
-
Friend of Princess Diana brands Netflix's The Crown ‘sadistic’ for recreating her final hours
-
Strictly's Molly Rainford apologises to pro partner Carlos Gu after result upset
-
You can apply to be in Eastenders, Doctor Who, Casualty and other BBC shows for 15 seconds
-
Doctor Who's David Tennant makes return in epic ending as Jodie Whittaker bows out
