FRIEND AND FIGHTER

‘Friends’ Creators Offered Matthew Perry Out From Show During Addiction Struggles

“He was adamantly like: ‘No, this is really important to me,’” “Friends” co-creator David Crane told The Times of London of Perry’s determination to continue playing Chandler Bing.

Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane said they asked Matthew Perry if he wanted to leave the sitcom after becoming aware of his addiction. “He was adamantly like: ‘No, this is really important to me,’” Crane told The Times of London on Friday. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the show, was only sober for one season of the show, which aired for a decade on NBC. The actor was found dead after a ketamine overdose in October 2023. Two weeks prior to his death, Kauffman said “He and I were FaceTiming and he seemed really good.” On Aug. 15, five people, including Perry’s live-in assistant and a woman known as “The Ketamine Queen,” were charged in connection with the actor’s death.