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A ‘Friends’ Fan’s Must-Read: Matthew Perry’s Memoir ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’

The ‘Friends’ actor reveals his struggles and hardships from behind the fame.

Looking for a book to pick up on your next browsing around? If you’re a fan of the timeless comedy sitcom FRIENDS, then you might want to check out the recently published book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.

Most people know Matthew Perry for playing the funny-guy Chandler Bing in FRIENDS, but in the actor’s latest memoir, readers will learn of the struggles and hardships the actor had to face from behind the fame from his childhood ambitions to his addiction to his recovery after the FRIENDS star almost died.

Here’s a snippet of the book’s description:

“In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true.”

Throughout the show’s 10 seasons and over 200 episodes, Perry’s Chandler has become a fan favorite among the colorful lead cast of the show. Even after it ended in 2004, FRIENDS remained a staple for those seeking some light and feel-good humor to make their day.

Tapping into that huge fanbase that crossed multiple borders and generations, HBO released Friends: The Reunion in May 2021, where Perry reunited with his castmates Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow. While the special was mostly fun and heartwarming, there was a brief moment where Perry reveals that during filming, he “felt like I was going to die if the studio audience didn’t laugh. And that’s not healthy for sure, but if I said a line and they didn’t laugh, I would sweat and just go into convulsions.”

While the moment quickly passed, this piqued the curiosity of some viewers, and with the actor’s history of addiction, this leaves some fans to wonder what really happened with Perry, who so brilliantly played Chandler, from behind the camera. Finally, with his book out, we could get answers straight from the actor himself.

You can now order Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry on Amazon for $20.12 for the Hardcover and $13.29 on Kindle.

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