Matthew Perry’s Memoir Returns to No. 1 After His Sudden Death at 54 — Revisit Some of His Candid Revelations

Matthew Perry’s book is a bestseller again. Memoirs of a beloved actor from 2022. Friends, lovers and the big scary thinghas regained the top spot on Amazon’s best-seller list in the days following the five-time Emmy nominee’s sudden death at age 54.

A book that was a moment The New York Times a bestseller since it was first published last November, it chronicles Perry’s life and career, including harrowing revelations about his experience with addiction.

Matthew Perry dead at 54 after apparent drowning

‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Awful Thing’ by Matthew Perry.

Flatiron Books

Perry, who died Saturday in an apparent drowning, spoke with PEOPLE about his memoir for the October 2022 cover.

“It all flew out of me,” he said of the writing process. “It wasn’t that difficult to write the book. It’s harder to read it, because you go, ‘Wow, this is a terrible story.’ But a sense of humor runs through it.”

Matthew Perry once said his favorite things about himself are ‘Caring for others’ and ‘Never giving up’

And before he shows up as Chandler Bing Friends, Perry initially wanted to be a professional tennis player. After turning to acting, he booked early guest spots on shows including Growing pains and Charles in charge. Perry wrote it while he was on the sitcom Sydneyhe was “madly in love” with his colleague, Valerie Bertinelli, and he discovered that when Friends was getting a role, he was booked for another TV show called LAX 2194, which almost prevented him from auditioning. …Big scary thing he also saw Perry’s tremendous honesty about his addiction. He started drinking at age 14 and, at one point, was hospitalized for five months with a ruptured colon from an overdose of prescription opioids, which he began taking after a 1997 skiing accident. Soon after, Perry fell into a two-month coma and had to use a colostomy bag.

The cast of “Friends”.

Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Perry also wrote about his struggle with addiction during filming Friendsand told PEOPLE about the support his colleagues have given him.

They were understanding and patient, Perry said. “You could say that [doing the show] saved me.”

Matthew Perry praised Jennifer Aniston for continuing to reach out and check in on him years later Friends

Many of Perry’s friends, former actors and fans in Hollywood and beyond have paid tribute following his death.

Longtime friend Hank Azaria shared a touching video on Instagram saying: “As an actor, he was so brilliant. I just wish we—the world, me and the world—could have gotten what would have been the rest of his career.”

Matthew Perry’s TV Mom Morgan Fairchild on His ‘Big Puppy’ Personality — And Her Connection to His Actor Dad (Exclusive)

On-screen romance actress Maggie Wheeler — who played Chandler’s one-time girlfriend Janice on the Friends — she wrote on Instagram: “I feel so blessed by every creative moment we’ve shared. ♥”

Fans also paid tribute to the late actor by creating a memorial outside the West Village building that was used for exterior shots of Chandler’s apartment building.

Dave Bennett/Getty

Perry has been vocal about helping others struggling with addiction, telling PEOPLE that he “[liked] writes a lot” and that his memoir was a way for him to share his story with others. “I wanted to talk about the ups and downs, because people out there are suffering,” he said. “And maybe if they hear the story from someone they saw on TV which is worse or the same as theirs, will be filled with hope.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Friends, lovers and the big scary thing it is now available wherever books are sold.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education