Matthew Perry’s Ups and Downs Through the Years: A Timeline

Light at the end of the tunnel. Years, Matthew Perry makes fans laugh. Best known for his role as Chandler Bing in Friendswhich aired from 1994 to 2004, Perry has never shied away from opening up about his struggles.

“When [fame] if it happens, it’s like disneyland for a while. For me, it lasted about eight months, that feeling of ‘I made it, I’m delighted, there’s no problem in the world.’ And then you realize that it doesn’t accomplish anything, it certainly doesn’t fill a hole in your life,” he said. The New York Times In 2002, a year after he got sober. “I didn’t get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.”

In his profile, he mentioned that he was similar to Chandler in some ways, because he also tried to hide behind jokes. “It’s no coincidence that Chandler is the guy who tries to deflect his own human emotional feelings with laughter. I’ve been doing that for years,” Perry explained. “I tried to present myself as a joker, as if spending time with me was something like a vacation. But that could only take me so far.”

The The whole nine yards The actor’s addiction began after a jet ski accident in 1997, when he became addicted to Vicodin. This eventually led to alcohol abuse – so much so that he was often hungover at work.

“I had a weird rule that I would never drink on set Serving Sarah said the star. “But I went to work with an extreme case of hangover. It’s so horrible to feel like that and have to work and be fun on top of that.”

In 2000, he was hospitalized for pancreatitis due to alcohol abuse. The West wing alum recalled that he was often shaking and sweating on set afterward as he went through detox. The season 6 finale, “The One with the Proposal,” aired in May 2000. The season 7 premiere, “The One With Monica’s Thunder,” aired five months later. However, the story unfolded on the same day, prompting fans to notice how much Perry’s appearance had changed during the hiatus.

Although he finally sought help the following year, there was still a long road to recovery. Scroll down for the full timeline: