Filming Chandler And Monica's Wedding On Friends Was Far From A Fairytale For Matthew Perry
For several seasons, "Friends" viewers waited for the iconic moment when Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and Monica Gellar (Courteney Cox) would finally tie the knot. The couple had danced around their attraction to one another and later carried on a secret relationship before finally announcing to their friends that they were in love. Eventually, the duo made it down the aisle in an episode that was full of emotion and ended with a huge cliffhanger about Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) being pregnant. However, while the episode was iconic for the series, filming the wedding scenes was anything but a fairytale for Perry, who later told The New York Times that was immediately taken to a rehab center to be treated for addiction issues after filming the scenes.
Over the years, Perry has been open about his struggle with addiction, revealing that he abused substances such as alcohol and painkillers throughout his time on "Friends." After releasing a memoir ominously titled "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," Perry recalled that time in his life, revealing why the episode surrounding Monica and Chandler's wedding will forever be burned into his memory as one of the most conflicting times in his life due to the fact that his career was successful, but his personal life was in shambles.
Matthew Perry was taken from set back to rehab after filming Monica and Chandler's wedding
In his interview with The New York Times, Matthew Perry admitted that during the time that he was filming Monica and Chandler's wedding on "Friends," he was dealing with some serious struggles in his life. Perry had sought treatment for his substance abuse and after filming the wedding episodes, he was transported directly to rehab to work on his addiction issues. "I married Monica, and got driven back to the treatment center — at the height of my highest point in 'Friends,' the highest point in my career, the iconic moment on the iconic show — in a pickup truck helmed by a sober technician," Perry recalled.
However, the actor says that he wasn't under the influence during the entire duration of "Friends." In fact, he claims that during the ninth season of the hit series, he was sober the entire time, which ended up paying off after he earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Chandler Bing. "There were years that I was sober during that time. Season 9 was the year that I was sober the whole way through. And guess which season I got nominated for best actor? I was like, 'That should tell me something,'" he told People.
Matthew Perry used to take 55 painkillers a day
In his memoir, Matthew Perry revealed that at the height of his addiction, he was taking around 55 Vicodin each day and washing it down with a quart of vodka, per Page Six. Meanwhile, after years of substance abuse, Perry's health took a near-fatal turn when his colon burst and he endured a gastrointestinal perforation due to his opioid addiction. "The doctors told my family that I had a [2%] chance to live," the actor said during his interview with People. "I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that," he added.
After a very long battle with addiction, Perry is now sober (via Entertainment Tonight), and hopes that by sharing his own story he can help others who are struggling with similar situations. He's also ready to find love again and confesses that he'd like to achieve his dream of becoming a father at some point in the future. When and if that happens, hopefully, Perry will have better memories from his own wedding than he does of filming Monica and Chandler's "Friends" nuptials.