JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Matthew Perry’s Weight Loss And Battle with Addictions: What We Know
Over the seasons of Friends, Matthew Perry’s weight loss and dramatic gains were a result of his opioid addiction and alcoholism. Here’s all we know about it!
In addition to his impressive comic timing, relatable edge, and breathing life into the role of Chandler Bing on Friends, it is Matthew Perry’s weight loss and battle with addiction that gathered him much public attention.
It is rather ironic how just like Chandler Bing, who couldn’t resist smoking several packs of cigarettes a day, the actor too struggled with addiction to pills and severe alcoholism in real life. While fans didn’t stop loving him for a bit on the popular sitcom, it was hard not to notice the striking changes in his appearance through its seasons.
The late actor himself never watched the show — that still soothes fans across the globe — as he was constantly reminded of how miserable his health had been during that time. In this article, we’ve broken down and explained Perry’s health journey over the decades and how it affected his personal life and career.
Who Was Matthew Perry?
(Late) Matthew Perry was an American-Canadian actor who rose to fame by playing the iconic role of Chandler Bing in the evergreen sitcom Friends that aired in the 90s on NBC. Very few people know that before featuring in the popular television show and other successful works, Perry kickstarted his acting career as a child artist, playing a small part in the 1979 film 240-Robert.
Comedy had been the essence of much of Perry’s career, comprising Hollywood hits such as Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, The Whole Ten Yards, Three to Tango, and 17 Again. In fact, in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry mentions how the sardonic humor of his character Chandler Bing has changed the way Americans speak — and we cannot disagree! He also worked in some alternate genres, such as The Good Wife and The Kennedys: After Camelot, which were popular television dramas.
Perry’s fresh acting style and overall persona make fans worldwide relate to him even today. Hence, it is unfortunate how an actor who helped the world feel more lighthearted struggled with prolonged substance addiction and issues with mental health.
The actor had admitted to being an alcoholic from the young age of 14 and was introduced to opioids about ten years later. While he was never a hardcore partier, he would often seek solace in drugs, while relaxing up on his couch and watching TV. His ambitions of becoming a Hollywood star too, contributed to his addictions, as per the late actor.
Due to Perry’s prolonged opioid use, he had met with a “colon burst” and had been put on an ECMO machine to facilitate the functions of his heart and lungs. It was a miracle that he recovered from this condition as doctors had told his family that he only had a 2 percent chance at survival. Including this, the actor had been through about 14 surgeries to help improve his deteriorating health.
Last year, however, Perry passed away from the acute effects of ketamine overdose (with suspected foul play) after committing about two years to healthy habits, exercise, and teetotalism.
How Opioids Caused Matthew Perry to Lose Weight Several Times in His Career
During the peak of his career, which was roughly between the mid-90s to the mid-00s, the Friends star’s weight fluctuated between 128 to 225 pounds.
In the earlier two seasons of Friends, Perry had a seemingly healthy physique. However, during the third season of the popular TV show, he lost a significant amount of weight. In an episode of the season, he was seen sporting a white T-shirt and tan trousers that were at least three sizes larger than his own at the time, something that the actor had been very upset about.
Perry could not bear to watch the sitcom because, with his changing appearance from season to season, he could make out the addiction phase he had been in with alcohol, opiates, and cocaine. In an interview, the actor made a remark saying that when he was carrying weight, it was due to alcohol; when he was skinny, it was due to pills; when he sported a goatee, it was due to lots of pills.
In fact, by the end of season three of the popular sitcom, Perry found himself sneaking in about 55 Vicodin pills a day. If he didn’t do that, he would find himself in a lot of pain. Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone (semi-synthetic opioid) and paracetamol, which are drugs used to treat severe to mild pain. The Fools Rush In actor found himself addicted to the pill right from the first dose that he received as medication for a jetski mishap.
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
Study shows that unregulated use of such opioid-based pain relievers has adverse effects on cardiac health, skin health, and gastrointestinal health over others, with symptoms such as constipation, stomach aches, rashes, itching, excessive sweating, hypotension, and bradycardia. It also causes severe neurological issues such as anxiety, chills, fatigue, loss of sleep, and dizziness (1).
When consumed alongside alcohol, which was another one of Perry’s major addictions, it can cause sedation, severe drowsiness, respiratory depression, impaired motor control, memory problems, and difficulty in breathing, which are alarming for one’s health (1), (2).
Studies have also linked opioid intake with severe weight fluctuations and irregular appetite, which was the major contributor to Matthew Perry’s weight loss (3), (4). Besides, heavy drinking is strongly linked with weight gain and obesity (5).
Hence, the dramatic changes in Perry’s appearance over the seasons of Friends were hardly a surprise. The actor had once opened up about his appearance in the last episode of season 6 (The One with the Proposal) and the first episode of season 7 (The One with Monica's Thunder). Both episodes unfolded the same night, where Perry sported the same orange shirt and black trousers. However, Perry had shed around one and a half stone (50 pounds) during the off-season, which made him look quite different in the latter episode.
At the end of season 7, when the cast was shooting for the 2-part episode The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding (featuring his fictitious wedding to Courtney Cox), the actor was living in a rehabilitation center. While his health appeared to improve during that time, it was further followed by a gradual weight gain in the next season. It wasn’t until the final season of the show that Perry redeemed his healthy and fit physique again.
Read More: Kundalini Meditation: Balancing Mind, Body, And Spirit
How Did Drug Abuse Affect Matthew Perry’s Life And Career?
In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry explained in detail the adverse effects that opioid and alcohol addiction had on his personal life and career. The actor raised concerns among his co-stars on Friends (especially Jennifer Aniston) who collectively had an intervention with him. Rumors say that his drug and alcohol problem caused anxiety among the makers of the show, too. However, the actor somehow held it together so as not to let this jeopardize his career.
Perry underwent dozens of surgeries, one being so severe that his family had very little hope for his survival. Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his care and concern for the late actor, who was also his childhood acquaintance.
In recent years, Perry spent about 9 million USD to gain sobriety and feel liberated from his addictions. He steered clear of alcohol and eventually bid adieu to opioids as well. He had also been in and out of rehab, which helped him in his journey. Before his demise, the actor had started getting into better shape and looked a lot healthier, much to the relief of his friends, family, and co-actors.
Insights from Matthew Perry’s Diet
There’s very little reported about Matthew Perry’s diet and meal plan as the actor seldom opened up about the same. However, given the gastrointestinal problems that faced the actor due to his opioid consumption, we can assume that his diet comprised a high amount of fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics to rejuvenate his health. While fiber helps one stay full and improve bowel movements, prebiotics, and probiotics aid in good microbial proliferation to improve gut health (6), (7), and (8).
One thing we do know is that before the day he passed away, the late actor had grabbed lunch with actress Athenna Crosby, who ordered a cheeseburger and a Diet Coke. Crosby pointed out how Perry was shy about the Diet Coke but ordered it anyway as he felt like he deserved a treat after a long time of ditching alcohol and unhealthy eating habits.
The actress also recalls how he was hesitant to even hold the drinks menu, post his excruciating journey with alcohol misuse over the years. This underscored how the actor was committed to sobriety and taking care of his health in his last days.
Insights from Matthew Perry’s Exercise Regime
To rejuvenate his health in his journey of sobriety, Matthew turned to hearty sports like pickleball. This helped the actor get in better shape and become more upbeat than before. Being a combination of other racquet games like badminton and tennis, pickleball helps burn calories, improves blood pressure and cardiac health, and also offers several mental health benefits (9). Besides, it has a very low risk of injury and isn’t too physically strenuous.
However, in addition to a healthy sport like pickleball, we’d also recommend other exercises like cardio, strength training, and yoga to boost fitness and get in shape.
Matthew Perry’s Weight Loss Photos over the Years
The late actor’s weight fluctuations made him look different over the years. However, in his last few years, the actor experienced gradual recovery in his health condition, significantly overcame his addictions, and looked a lot better. Here are some pictures underscoring this transition.
1997
2000
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
2004
2015
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
2023
( Image Credit: Getty Images)
Most of what we know about Matthew Perry’s weight loss is that it was caused by the appetite suppression effects of drugs. However, there’s little we know about his diet and exercise regime to get a better idea of his health and fitness levels. What’s incredible though, is how the actor didn’t give up on his battle with his addictions and stayed strong through his excruciating health journey.
Following his colon burst, Perry committed himself dedicatedly to healthy habits and managed to liberate himself from his addictions. If it wasn't for the misfortunes from his ketamine overdose, our beloved Chandler Bing would’ve likely continued living a healthier life!
Sources:
1. Hydrocodone - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537288/
2. Harmful Interactions | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
3. The contribution of obesity to prescription opioid use in the United States - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6756256/
4. The Opioid System and Food Intake: Use of Opiate Antagonists in Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder and Abnormal Eating Behavior - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7011935/
5. Alcohol Consumption and Obesity: An Update - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338356/
6. The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7589116/
7. Prebiotics: Definition, Types, Sources, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463098/
8. Effects of Probiotics on Gut Microbiota: An Overview.
9. Pickleball and mental health in adults: A systematic review - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9988900/
