Matthew Perry Envisioned Starring in Autobiographical Superhero Project — and Enlisted Adam McKay’s Help

Before Matthew Perry’s unexpected death at the age of 54, the actor had a surprising idea for a potential comeback project and even pitched the concept to director Adam McKay.

While working together on the 2020 Netflix film Don’t look updeceased Friends star — who had a small role in the film that was eventually pulled — approached McKay, 55, about the superhero’s autobiographical project about his life called Mattman.

“It’s about this guy,” McKay explained The Hollywood Reporter. “You’d recognize him. His name is Matt and he’s very famous and he’s about 50 years old. His life is a bit of a mess. He’s lost. A distant relative dies out of the blue and leaves him $2 billion – and he uses [it] become a superhero.”

Remembering the life and career of Matthew Perry in photographs

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McKay was fascinated because it provided a glimpse into the inner workings of Perry’s mind. “Every film idea is like someone telling you their dream,” he said. “And there’s obviously some meaning behind it. And when I heard that idea, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s interesting that that’s an idea that he wants to do.'”

Perry — who was a huge Batman fan — wanted to play the role himself, but wasn’t sure if it should be a series or a movie.

McKay countered with his second idea: “My idea was just to do a show about being an incredibly popular, well-known TV guy dealing with addiction. Because the world has changed. Now you could actually do that show. Ten years ago, people would say you’re crazy. But now people can be more honest about their mental health issues, their addiction issues, and that’s kind of wonderful.”

Matthew Perry’s Lasting Legacy: How He Won Our Hearts and Found a Mission to Help Others With Addiction

Matthew Perry is pictured at the premiere of Reelz’s ‘The Kennedys After Camelot’ at The Paley Center for Media on March 15, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.

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McKay then suggested to Perry that they “make a show that’s a fictionalized version of what you’ve been struggling with.”

He suggested Perry focus on “the idea that wherever you go, people are shouting your lines about your past, about your addiction, about what it’s like, because everyone’s looking at you through this lens of this happy, bright, colorful show. And then, in the meantime , you’re a human being dealing with real addiction, real pain.”

He told Perry, “It could be an amazing show. It could be really funny. It could really affect people’s lives.”

But the actor wasn’t interested, and McKay recognized that his proposal “isn’t an idea you push on somebody. So I said, ‘OK.’

Matthew Perry is pictured posing at the Broadway premiere of ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ at The Barrymore Theater on April 25, 2017 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

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Perry died on October 28 of apparent drowning. Sources told TMZ that emergency services were called to the residence for a cardiac arrest and that no drugs were found at the scene.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE on Oct. 29 that an autopsy has been completed. The results of the toxicology report are awaited.

Perry was laid to rest on Friday.

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Source: HIS Education