From TIME · Judy Berman · · 1m 10s
Matthew Perry's documentary resists the fame-and-addiction cliché
Netflix's three-part film honors Perry's 25-year fight against addiction, not just his death from it.
In brief
Netflix's three-part film honors Perry's 25-year fight against addiction, not just his death from it. A Netflix documentary about Matthew Perry's life rejects the typical narrative of addiction and early death, instead showing his decades-long struggle and advocacy for others. Originally reported by TIME.
Hollywood's two addiction stories
Hollywood typically tells one of two stories about famous addicts: recovery and happiness, or early death. Matthew Perry's life resists this binary.
“they get what they want and they never want it again”
Perry's 25-year fight
Matthew Perry died from ketamine and drowning in October two thousand twenty three at fifty four. He spent more than twenty five years surviving addiction while acting, writing, and helping others.
The documentary's approach
Director Mary Robertson's three part Netflix documentary The One About Matthew Perry uses Perry's own reflections from his two thousand twenty two memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing and interviews with family and…
Perry's lasting contribution
Perry's greatest contribution was his vulnerability and honesty about addiction as an illness. The documentary continues that work by showing his full life, not hiding his struggle or the pain he caused.
“Perry's greatest contribution was his vulnerability”
The main idea
A Netflix documentary about Matthew Perry's life rejects the typical narrative of addiction and early death, instead showing his decades-long struggle and advocacy for others.
