- Matthew Perry said he used to steal pills from open houses when he was addicted to drugs.
- The actor spoke with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer about his former addiction and his recovery.
- Perry said he used to take 55 Vicodin a day or else he would feel “really sick”.
Matthew Perry said he used to visit open houses to steal pills from medicine cabinets when he was addicted to prescription drugs.
In a interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer which aired on Friday, Perry opened up about the heartbreaking details surrounding his former addiction and recovery. The actor’s memoir, “Friends, lovers and the great terrible thing”, is slated for release on November 1.
Perry said he took his first pill after injuring himself on a jet ski while filming the romantic comedy “Fools Rush In” in 1996. He told Sawyer he eventually took 55 Vicodin a day , an addiction that caused him to take other people’s pills. houses.
“I guess the weirdest thing I did was on Sundays I would go to open houses and go to the bathroom to see what pills they had in there and steal them,” Perry said. “And I think they thought, ‘Well, there’s no way Chandler came in and robbed us.'”
The former ‘Friends’ star also said he used to fake migraines and get MRIs – even though he knew ‘there was nothing wrong’ to get meds on. arrangement.
Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer on the set of “Friends” in 1994.
Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The actor also revealed that in 2001 he used Xanax, methadone and a liter of vodka every day. After filming the romantic comedy “Serving Sara” the same year, he had to dub his original dialogue in the film because his speech was so confusing.
Perry confirmed to Sawyer that he attended 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetingswent to rehab at least 15 times and detoxed 65 times during his long recovery.
During the interview, Perry shared that he nearly died after his colon burst due to opioid use. The actor revealed he was in a coma for two weeks and was hospitalized for five months. In an interview with People earlier this month, Perry said he had to use a colostomy bag for nine months after the life-threatening experience.
Perry also told Sawyer that during his first rehab, a counselor claimed that his addiction was not his fault.
“It was the first time I realized that all this craziness wasn’t my will, or it wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t my fault,” he said.
