I admit that I should have offered this tribute three months ago.
In 1994, the 24-year-old actor began a ten-year run as a star of Friends, which paid him $1 million per episode and made him one of Hollywood’s most famous stars. But behind the scenes, addiction was ruining his life. At his lowest point, Matthew Perry was taking 55 Vicodin a day and weighed just 128 pounds.
“I didn’t know how to stop,” he said. “The disease and the addiction is progressive, so it gets worse and worse as you grow older.”
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he revealed that he went to rehab 15 times and spent over $7 million on his recovery.
Sadly, at the age of 54, Matthew Perry was found dead in his Jacuzzi at his home near Los Angeles on October 28.
To his credit, Perry never shied away from telling his story, especially over the last two years when he was sober. And he gave millions of dollars to help others. Those who knew him best said he died sober, helping others, making a difference to the end.
There are three lessons we can learn from the life and legacy of Matthew Perry.
- Addiction can hit anyone.
- We don’t get sober until we give up our secrets.
- We maintain our sobriety by helping others.
Recovery Step: Use your story to help someone else. It is by sharing the story of a changed life that we help someone else change theirs (Matthew 28:19-20).
