Matthew Perry Refuses To Watch ‘Friends,’ Why?

Matthew Perry refuses to watch Friends. The actor spoke out about his life on the hit NBC sitcom and how he feels looking back at that time in his life. Matthew recently released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.

Not only does he talk about his acting career and his time on the show, but he also opens up about his struggles with addiction for the first time ever. Keep reading to see why he won’t watch the beloved series that continues to attract a new generation of fans.

Refuses to watch Friends

During his interview with Tom Power, Matthew Perry says it’s uncomfortable to watch himself on Friends. During that time, he struggled with addiction, which occurred at the height of his fame. Matthew shared that he “can’t watch the show” because he was “brutally thin” during those times. It’s triggering for him to watch himself in the throes of addiction.

Matthew can tell what state his body and mind were in during each episode. It’s still raw and fresh for him to go back to those times. Matthew has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse for decades. His addiction caused several health problems, but he’s doing much better these days.

“Because I could go drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine,” Matthew Perry candidly shared with Tom Power. “I could tell season by season by how I looked. That’s why I don’t want to watch it because that’s what I see.”

He released his new book on November 1, 2022. Suddenly, Matthew Perry made headlines for talking about his feud with the internet’s boyfriend Keanu Reeves and his relationships with gorgeous women like Julia Roberts and Yasmine Bleeth. He admitted that he was the reason why most of his relationships failed.

Matthew Perry catches heat for his new book

However, it was his comments about Keanu and the late River Phoenix that caught the most controversy. This caused Matthew Perry to apologize for his remarks. In his book, he said about Keanu’s work: “It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down.”

He also shared more thoughts about River and Keanu. For some reason, most of Matthew’s book was about comparing himself to the actors. He didn’t understand why they were more successful than he was. Matthew slammed their works and their acting abilities.

“Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us? River was a better actor than me; I was funnier. But I certainly held my own in our scenes — no small feat, when I look back decades later.”

In his statement, Matthew Perry admitted that he is “actually a big fan of Keanu.” He shared that he “chose a random name,” which was a “mistake.” Matthew joked that he should’ve come for himself instead. Some of his fans don’t buy his apology.

What are your thoughts on Matthew Perry refusing to watch Friends? Does this surprise you? Have you read his new book? Sound off below in the comment section.

Check back with TV Shows Ace for more news on Matthew Perry.