Netflix has announced The One About Matthew Perry, a new three-part documentary series exploring the life and legacy of the beloved Friends actor through the people who knew him best. Premiering on 27 October, the series will feature never-before-heard testimony from Perry’s younger sister Mia Perry Bowick and several of his lifelong friends, alongside unreleased photographs and videos from the Perry family’s private archive. Directed by Emmy winner Mary Robertson, the documentary will look beyond his career as Chandler Bing to Perry’s personal life, his struggles with addiction and the advocacy work that became an important part of his later years.

What Is The One About Matthew Perry About?

The One About Matthew Perry traces Perry’s journey from a young actor trying to establish himself in Hollywood to becoming one of television’s most recognisable comedy stars through Friends. Perry played Chandler Bing across all 10 seasons of the sitcom between 1994 and 2004, appearing in 236 episodes alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

The series will also explore the parts of Perry’s life away from the sitcom, including his long battle with addiction and his decision to speak openly about recovery. Perry died in October 2023 at the age of 54, and the documentary will look at the person behind the public figure through memories from relatives, friends and collaborators who were part of different stages of his life. Director Mary Robertson said the public knew only part of Perry’s story, explaining that the team wanted “the people who knew and loved Matthew” to reveal more about the man behind his performances and public advocacy.

Matthew Perry’s Sister Speaks About Him on Camera for the First Time

Perry’s younger sister Mia Perry Bowick is among the central voices in the documentary and will speak about her brother on camera for the first time. She also provided access to previously unreleased material from the family archive.

Bowick said it had taken time for her to feel ready to share those memories and speak about “what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life”, adding that she hopes viewers come away with a deeper understanding of who he was beyond Chandler and his struggles with addiction.

Two of Perry’s closest lifelong friends, Roger Castillo and David Pressman, will also speak about him publicly on camera for the first time. Castillo met Perry when he was 17 and later drove him to his Friends audition, while Pressman was part of Perry’s circle of aspiring actors in Los Angeles.

Who Is Interviewed in The One About Matthew Perry?

The documentary brings together people from across Perry’s personal life and career, including former NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield, who greenlit the pilot that became Friends, and Jeff Strauss, a writer and producer on the sitcom’s first season who helped shape Chandler Bing.

Kevin Pollak, Perry’s longtime friend and co-star in The Whole Nine Yards, The Whole Ten Yards and Numb, also appears alongside Fools Rush In producer Doug Draizin, director Jonathan Lynn and actors Billy Gallo and Nate Torrence. Other contributors include friends and recovery advocates who knew Perry away from the screen, including Tim Harrington and West Huddleston.

E. Martin Estrada, the former US attorney who led the prosecution connected to Perry’s death, is also interviewed as part of the three-part series.

When Is The One About Matthew Perry on Netflix?

All three episodes of The One About Matthew Perry premiere on 27 October on Netflix. The streamer has also released the first trailer, offering an early look at the family photographs, archive footage and new interviews featured throughout the series. You can watch the official trailer below.

For CultureCues, Matthew Perry meant so much to so many people through Friends, but it is good to see this documentary giving the people closest to him the space to talk about Matthew away from Chandler Bing too. Hearing from his sister and friends who have never spoken about him on camera before should make this especially personal, and the unseen family footage adds another side of his story that audiences have not had the chance to see. This will undoubtedly be an emotional watch, but hopefully one that celebrates the person behind all those years of laughter as much as the career we all knew.

The One About Matthew Perry premieres on Netflix on 27 October.

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