Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
- Author Matthew Perry
- Narrator Matthew Perry
- Publisher Headline
- Publish Date 1 November 2022
- Run Time 8 hours and 50 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Autobiography: arts and entertainment, Autobiography: general, Memoirs.
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What to expect
'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times
'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.'
So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.
'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian
'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph
'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent
User Reviews
If you want to know behind the scenes of friends, he barely says anything.
I started the book with tremendous compassion for this man, and ended the book exasperated with his ramble.
Would not have read it myself but have it a go when it was recommended and so glad I did I was totally immersed in it .
Had to stop the car as I was in tears at the end !
It’s great that Matthew Perry narrates this himself, it makes it much more of a personal memoir. So sad that I left his book until after he died, it’s been on my shelf for a while
Edit: I just finished the book. I don't think I've laughed and cried this much at a book ever. What a wonderful man he was. Rest in peace. You are missed.
Amazing someone that you have watched your entire life and see behind the struggles he faced.
May you find true joy in the remainder of your life and laugh as much as you made so many of us laugh… and still do. Watching “Friends” brings me so much peace and joy that I can’t even fall asleep at night without watching it.. the show and the very real people behind the show has brought so many of us through so many difficult times… may you find the peace and joy in your own life that you brought to so many others. Brilliant book… I will be gifting it to some friends of my own that are also struggling with addiction.
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