In a candid conversation with Diane Sawyer from ABC special, Matthew said that the video clip illustrates the toll his addiction to pills took on his body and shared how drugs squashed his appetite, causing him to lose a ton of weight to the point where it was unhealthy.
"Friends" fans will remember Matthew Perry's weight fluctuations during his years as the lovably sarcastic Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom. They were the physical manifestations of his addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, the 43-year-old actor told ABC News in a new interview.
Things that happened to Chandler Bing in Seasons 3 to 6 in "Friends": He reunited with girlfriend from hell Janice, adopted a baby chick and duck with roommate Joey and finally slept with Monica Geller.
He added that by the finale of season three in 1996, he was attempting to take 55 Vicodin, an opioid pain reliever, every day. Perry wrote that if he took any less he would be “so sick”.
Chandler's disease otherwise known as Idiopathic Avascular osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ANFH or ONFH) is a rare condition in which the bone cells in the head of the femur (FH) die due to lack of blood. This disease is caused when blood flow is reduced to the part of a bone near a joint.
Apparently, Matthew had emergency surgery before filming, which caused the slurred speech.
Matthew Perry suffered from pancreatitis in 2000 (before 7th season) and lost 20 pounds. That's why he looked different in the beginning of season 7.
“When I'm carrying weight, it's alcohol; when I'm skinny, it's pills. When I have a goatee, it's lots of pills.” Perry, 53, shares that by the end of the third season of the hit NBC sitcom, on which he played Chandler Bing, he was trying to obtain 55 Vicodin a day — otherwise he'd get “so sick.”
Friends ran from 1994-2004. During this time Matthew Perry was going through personal struggles due to addictions on and off and other health issues. Hence the change in his physical appearance in various seasons.
One of the many bombshells he's discussed is the fact that his front teeth fell out while he was biting into peanut butter on toast, which is why he had to have them all replaced.
Chandler (Matthew Perry)
Looking back at photos of Matthew, would suggest he hasn't had any cosmetic surgery or non-surgical treatments. Weight gain and weight loss over the years can often cause changes to facial features as well as the natural ageing process.
In it, the 53-year-old actor reveals that while playing Chandler Bing in Friends from 1994 to 2004, his weight fluctuated between 128 and 225 pounds due to alcoholism and addiction. “You can track the trajectory for my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season,” Perry writes.
Writing in his forthcoming memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing (viaThe New York Times), explained that he was receiving treatment for his addiction while filming season seven of the show, which included the episode “The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding”.
Matthew Perry spoke about his past relationship with Julia Roberts in his new memoir. They began dating in the '90s via fax machine and Roberts guest-starred on an episode of "Friends." Perry said he broke up with her because he felt like he was "unlovable" and "could never be enough."
Jennifer Aniston: $320 Million
Most recently, she co-starred with Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell in Apple TV's “The Morning Show,” pulling in $1.25 million per episode. Her total net worth today is $320 million, which comes from a combination of acting and product sponsorships.
Why does Chandler look different in season 6? In 2000 he was hospitalized with pancreatitis as a result of his addictions. During that summer he lost 20 pounds, appearing noticeably thinner during the 7th season premiere of Friends, in a scene that continued directlyvfrom the 6th season finale.
Matthew Perry Initially Turned Down His Role On Friends And Coached Another Actor For The Part Instead. Craig Bierko came close to taking on the role of Chandler in Friends over Matthew Perry.
In actual fact, Chandler seems to regularly suffer from amnesia.
Her Voice Gets Way Too Loud
This goes hand in hand with the entry above - and while there is nothing wrong with a woman having a loud voice, Monica's voice went from fairly normal to shrieking, for no real reason. It was all part of the desire to exaggerate her high-strung nature, and make her seem even more intense...
"When I'm carrying weight, it's alcohol; when I'm skinny, it's pills. When I have a goatee, it's lots of pills," Perry said. Still, there was one and only season of Friends when the Chandler Bing actor was clean. It was Season 9, and Perry was able to stay "completely sober" for the entirety of it.
Remember That Chandler Had Three Nipples?! | Friends.
Matthew Perry Can't Re-Watch 'Friends' Because Of His Drug Addiction—He Was Taking '55 Vicodin a Day'
Matthew Perry's Chandler had the lowest number of sexual partners, having slept with 10 women throughout the 10 series. This definitely fits in with the character's persona, who was a bit awkward around women. Among them was obviously Janice, who he notoriously kept going back to before settling down with Monica.