Matthew Perry Documentary Criticized for Lack of 'Friends' Cast Appearances
A new three-part Netflix documentary about the life and struggles of Matthew Perry has drawn criticism for its failure to include interviews with his co-stars from the iconic sitcom 'Friends'.
The newly released three-part documentary, "The One About Matthew Perry," chronicling the career and battles with addiction of the late actor, has been noted for the absence of his prominent co-stars from the sitcom "Friends." The documentary explores Perry's life, including his self-destructive habits that ultimately led to his death.
Despite the enduring popularity of "Friends," which enjoyed an eight-year run on Netflix in the UK alone,
none of the main cast members—Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, or Matt LeBlanc—are featured as interviewees. This omission has been described as leaving a significant void in the production.
Instead of his famed television colleagues, the documentary features interviews with Perry's personal friends, such as Roger Castillo and David Pressman, who were close with him in his teens and twenties. Hank Azaria, a childhood friend and voice actor, is mentioned but does not appear. The film also omits appearances from notable ex-girlfriends like Julia Roberts.
The documentary's first episode has received a lower rating, with critics suggesting it dedicates too much time to Perry's lesser-known early television projects while briefly touching upon a "lonely childhood" that the actor described in his autobiography as a period of profound pain.
The narrative reportedly improves in the second episode as Perry's personal struggles intensify. The documentary touches upon his extensive addiction issues, including instances where he would visit open houses solely to search for pills in bathrooms. The review suggests that Perry, and consequently the documentary, often deflected blame onto external factors like managers, parents, doctors, fame, and even a higher power.
The final part of the series reportedly strips away any pretense of glamour, revealing the extent of Perry's difficulties. By the beginning of the third episode, Perry is in a coma. He survived this critical period but later died, found drowned in his jacuzzi under the influence of drugs. The documentary highlights that at the time of his death, he was alone.