Elizabeth Hurley Says Matthew Perry Was A Nightmare On Romantic Comedy
Matthew Perry was supposedly a nightmare to work with in the midst of his battle with drugs and alcohol. Speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment in 2022, Elizabeth Hurley said while she has fond memories of starring with Perry in the 2002 romantic comedy Serving Sara, “it was a nightmare working with him at that time and, as it’s now known, our movie was shut down because of his addiction.”
Years ago, while battling addiction, Friends star Matthew Perry worked with Elizabeth Hurley on the rom-com Serving Sara, which stopped production so he could attend rehab,
“We were in a force majeure and had to all sit at home twiddling our thumbs for some time,” she added. Matthew Perry admitted as much in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. He wrote about Serving Sara and how his addiction stopped production as he was forced into rehab. The actor admitted that Elizabeth Hurley and director Reginald Hudlin were “pissed off” about the situation.
“It was a nightmare working with him at that time and, as it’s now known, our movie was shut down because of his addiction.”
Elizabeth Hurley on her Serving Sara co-star, Matthew Perry
However, when Matthew Perry returned to the set, Elizabeth Hurley said, “he was fabulous,” despite the needing to “re-voice” everything that was filmed before his two-month rehab stay. Perry detailed in his memoir that the reason for re-recording all the dialogue was the pronounced slurring of his words during the initial filming of those scenes.
“Obviously, he was having a tough time, but he was still very charming and a lovely person to work with,” Elizabeth Hurley continued. “But you could see he was suffering for sure.” At the time, the actress had not read Matthew Perry’s book. However, she enjoyed some of the excerpts. “He’s a very funny writer like he’s a very funny man. He’s an incredibly gifted comedian. His way with words is fantastic,” she added.
Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing sees Matthew Perry speaking candidly about his struggles with addiction over the years. The actor admitted that he couldn’t remember large portions of his time working on Friends due to his addiction. Perry estimated that he spent approximately $9 million to get sober. By May 2021, the actor was completely sober.
Matthew Perry, best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in Friends, tragically passed away on October 28. According to reports, Perry was discovered at his residence in Los Angeles and appeared to have drowned. Initially responding to a call for cardiac arrest, first responders subsequently found Perry unresponsive in a jacuzzi. He was just 54 years old.
“Obviously, he was having a tough time, but he was still very charming and a lovely person to work with. But you could see he was suffering for sure.”
Elizabeth Hurley on working with Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry was catapulted to stardom for his iconic portrayal of Chandler Bing. He played the character for 10 seasons, from 1994 to 2004, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance. In 2021, he reunited with his fellow cast members for the special Friends: The Reunion, which was initially released on Max (then HBO Max), where the group reminisced about their time on the show.
Following his tenure on Friends, Matthew Perry worked on various television projects, with roles in shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, The Good Wife, Go On, The Good Fight, and The Odd Couple. He made a special guest appearance alongside his Friends co-star Courteney Cox in her popular series Cougar Town.
Matthew Perry left an indelible mark on the silver screen roles in movies such as 17 Again, Birds of America, Three to Tango, Numb, Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and The Whole Ten Yards. Additionally, he ventured into the realm of voiceover work, lending his voice to the primary antagonist, Benny, in the popular video game Fallout: New Vegas.
Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc, and David Schwimmer released a joint statement following the untimely passing of their friend. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” the message read. “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now, we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”
Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane also released a statement along with executive producer Kevin Bright. “We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart,” the message read.
