See Bill Maher Offer Support For Matthew Perry
On HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, the host showed as much support as he could to Friends star Matthew Perry.
Bill Maher marked the end of HBO’s Real Time’s 20th season with Matthew Perry, Laura Coates, and Jonathan Haidt. However, it was the former that stole the show with his candid revelations about his decades-long drug addiction. During the interview, the host cited some statistics from the actor’s recovery, like how he attended 6,000 AA meetings.
He also offered support to the Friends star saying, “Everybody’s on your side. Everybody’s glad you’re here.”
The 53-year-old has been on a promotional tour for his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which covers topics like convincing Julia Roberts to appear on Friends. The book has also made headlines for sketchily name-dropping Keanu Reeves. Mostly, it gave the actor an outlet to speak about his struggle to remain sober which led to multiple stints in rehab and two medical emergencies.
Speaking to Bill Maher, Matthew Perry recalled one near-death experience in which doctors gave him a 2% chance of survival after his colon burst due to opioid abuse. He described being placed on life support, and how he was the only patient on the machine who survived that night. “I’m so glad you’re here because a lot of people did have you in the dead pool,” the talk show host said, praising the actor’s journey to recovery.
While acknowledging that Bill Maher is openly atheist, Matthew Perry attributed his survival to divine intervention, believing that a higher power helped him pull through. “I believe there is a higher power,” Perry said. “I have a very close relationship with him that’s helped me a lot.”
Despite their opposing beliefs, the talk show host reposed in a supportive manner saying, “Somebody’s on your side.”
Bill Maher also tried to bring some levity to the dark topics, as Matthew Perry said he was doing so many drugs that his life was in danger. The actor also explained that his substance abuse stemmed from an attempt to escape reality, saying he had to figure out how to enjoy life without them. “The real thing for me, and the troubles that I have had, is that reality is an acquired taste,” the 53-year-old said.
He added that it wasn’t until he became sober that he truly felt safe. “To tell you the truth, I am resilient, and I am strong,” the Friends star said. Before appearing on Bill Maher’s show, Matthew Perry told other interviewers how he struggled throughout his life.
In one instance (via MovieWeb) he says he made filming a nightmare for the director of Serving Sara. He also addressed how his issues affected the filming of Friends, but that his co-stars stood by him “like penguins.”
Despite the controversy over his cheap shots at Keanu Reeves, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing has been commended for providing an honest look into the life of someone who almost died, and now uses his experience to help others. The memoir is currently available worldwide everywhere books are sold. Grab your copy to see why Bill Maher was so full of praise for Matthew Perry and his recovery.
