Heartbreaking Matthew Perry Documentary Out Now On Peacock

Yesterday the documentary Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was released on Peacock and last night I watched this heartbreaking tale of the rise and fall of everyone's favorite 'friend'.

I still remember the day that I heard that news that Matthew Perry passed away at his home in California. I couldn't believe it. It was a known fact that over the years he had struggled with addiction. He talked about it openly and documented his journey in his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. But when you hear the news, it hits you in a different way. It's interesting when a celebrity passes how it can impact you, when you don't even know them.

But that was the thing about Matthew Perry, he was everyone's favorite friend. Yes, Chandler Bing on Friends was a favorite, but even hearing from different people that were his "in real life" friends, he really sounded like quite the guy. And you hear from Hank Azaria in this documentary about what kind of friend he was. One thing you will notice is how the cast of Friends is missing, and I understand why they'd want to sit this one out and remember him for how they knew him and not for his struggles.

In this hour long documentary, you really get a feel for what Matthew was going through over the years. There were plenty of interview clips that I had never seen before. And interviews with people who knew him best. It paints of picture of a lonely life and someone battling a true addiction that no amount of fame or money could buy his way out of.

We also learn more about the case with the doctors that were providing him the illegal drugs that killed him. The fact that these men took an oath of "do no harm", yet their greed took over, was infuriating. It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out in court. But I really hope that every player involved is punished for what they did.

I wouldn't say that this documentary is uplifting, though there are moments. But it was very well done and painted a real picture of the life of Matthew Perry.