Could He Be Any Better? 'Friends' Executive Producer Says Matthew Perry Is 'Stronger'
Could he be any better? A Friends producer has said that Matthew Perry is doing well, following concern for the actor amid the reunion special.
Friends executive producer Kevin Bright told The Hollywood Reporter about how it was to catch up with Perry.
"I talked to him. It was great seeing him again," the 66-year-old said. "And what people say is what people say. I don’t have any to say about that, except it was great to see him."
Matthew Perry has released this line of limited-edition clothing and accessories inspired by his 'Friends' character, Chandler Bing.
He continued, "And I think he’s very funny on the show. But yes, I think he’s OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward."
Fans were concerned about Perry when he appeared to be lethargic and slurred his speech in promos for the reunion. The 51-year-old has been candid about his sobriety in the past.
However, Perry's slurred speech was later attributed to last-minute dental work, a source recently revealed.
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"Matthew turned up to the reunion and members of his team said that he had an emergency tooth procedure that day," the source explained to The Sun. "That was said to impact his wellbeing and also how he was feeling."
"Obviously no one wants to film after a procedure, but it happened," the insider continued, as Perry was reportedly in pain following the procedure. "The feeling was one of huge sympathy for Matthew especially in recent days given how people have reacted online.
Perry's struggle with addiction began in 1997 after he was prescribed Vicodin following a jet ski accident. "It wasn’t my intention to have a problem with it," Perry reflected in 2002. "But from the start, I liked how it made me feel and I wanted to get more."
His struggle even impacted how well he remembers playing Chandler Bing on Friends. "I don’t remember three years of it," he told BBC. "I was a little out of it at the time — somewhere between seasons three and six."
Perry checked himself into rehab in 2011 after previous stints. "I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the World Wide Web," he said at the time. However, an insider told PEOPLE that it was a maintenance visit and there was "no relapse."
He then opened The Perry House, as a sober living area in his Malibu home which closed after he sold the property.
