George Clooney reveals Matthew Perry wasn’t happy on ‘Friends’

In a recent interview with Deadline, George Clooney fondly reminisced about his time on "ER" and shared thoughts on his late friend Matthew Perry, who passed away at 54.

 

George revealed that Matthew Perry wasn't happy while filming for "Friends".

"He wasn't happy. It didn't bring him joy or happiness or peace. He would say to us, 'I just want to get on a regular sitcom, and I would be the happiest man on earth." said the actor.

Having known Matthew since their teenage years and collaborated with him on the Warner Brothers lot during 'ER' and 'Friends,' George said that it was hard witnessing Matthew's struggles.

Clooney told the outlet, "Watching that go on on the lot—we were at Warner Brothers, right next to each other—it was hard to watch because we didn't know what was going through him." He continued, "We just knew that he wasn't happy, and I had no idea what he was doing, 12 Vicodin a day and all the heartbreaking stuff. It just broke him down."

George revealed that fame and success didn't bring Matthew happiness, emphasising the significance of finding contentment within oneself and one's life. Reflecting on their friendship, he recalled, "I knew Matt when he was 16 years old. We used to play paddle tennis together." George continued, "He's about 10 years younger than me. And he was a great, funny, funny, funny kid." Regarding "Friends," he expressed, "And 'Friends,' man, that was a fun time to watch those guys; we were all really close."

Matthew Perry, who passed away on October 28, succumbed to the "acute effects of ketamine," according to the official cause of death. Sources also pointed to concerns about a potential drug overdose, as Matthew had grappled with sobriety for years, leading to a profound sense of shame whenever he encountered setbacks.