Matthew Perry's hidden anguish while filming Friends as fans mourn loss of star
Matthew Perry admitted he was was hiding a painful secret while filming Friends in the longed-for reunion show in 2021.
The much loved actor, who tragically died at the weekend, aged 54 after being found unresponsive in his hot tub, shot to fame in the iconic hit as Chandler Bing. Matt and his co-stars won a host of awards for their performances in the 90s classic. However, sadly, the star admitted he was plagued by 'crippling anxiety' whenever he was in front of the camera.
Opening up about his experience, Matt said he suffered from "sweating and convulsions" while shooting every episode of the hit show. While recording the sitcom, which was filmed in front of a live audience, the star confessed he felt like he would "die" if they weren't laughing at his jokes.
Matthew Perry bravely opened up about his secret struggles while filming Friends when he reunited with his co-stars"At least to me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh," he admitted, much to his co-stars' surprise. "It’s not healthy for sure, but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out. This pressure left me in a bad place."
A shocked Lisa Kudrow told him: "You didn’t tell us that. I don’t remember you ever saying that." In a heartbreaking admission, Matt confirmed: "Oh yeah, I felt like that every single night."
Hear'Say star quit booze after drunken Friends impressions - to Matthew Perry
After the eagerly-awaited reunion aired, many fans shared their concern for the actor when he appeared to have slurred speech. Some even questioned the star's sobriety after noticing his 'glazed expression'. However, a source close to Matt told The Sun at the time the actor required emergency dental work hours prior to the interview. The source said: "Matthew turned up to the reunion [in April] and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day."
The much-loved actor admitted he was 'terrified' the Friends audience wouldn't find him funny (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)With awful irony, Matt made millions of us laugh on the world's biggest sitcom as the loveable Chandler, but behind closed doors, he was battling an all-consuming cycle of addiction. Opening up about his struggles in his personal life, he once said: "I need love but I don't trust it. If I drop my game like Chandler and show you who I really am you might notice me - but worse you might notice me and might leave me, and I can't have that."
After the tragic news broke of his passing, Matt's Friends "family" paid tribute to their beloved friend. In a joint statement, they said: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
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