Matthew Perry has been through multiple rehab stints before finding lasting sobriety.

Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor born August 19, 1969. He is best known as Chandler Bing on Friends, a television comedy series that ran from 1994 to 2004. The cast members of this series won several awards, including the 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Perry is unusually open about his drug abuse and has had several stays at drug rehabilitation centers. He has continued to act in television after his most recent stay in rehab.

First Rehab

Perry began taking the painkiller Vicodin during the mid-1990s for pain caused by his wisdom teeth. He also needed painkillers after he was in a Jet Ski accident, causing him to become dependent upon Vicodin. Many times, painkiller addiction originates from these legitimate medical needs instead of the person just wanting to get high. They begin with a prescription, but became more and more dependent on the substance as they go. He checked himself into the Hazelden Foundation rehabilitation center in Minnesota during 1997 and completed the 28-day program at that facility. Perry later said that he didn’t think there was anything he couldn’t face after that stint in rehab.

Pancreatitis

Perry’s weight began fluctuating dramatically over the next three years. The 6-foot tall actor normally weighed about 165 pounds, but he dropped to 145 pounds in early 2000. He checked into the Cedars-Sinai medical center in May 2000, shortly after the sixth-season wrap of Friends. His stay lasted two weeks and Perry later revealed that pancreatitis was the reason for his hospitalization. The actor also admitted that this potentially chronic condition was probably caused by his abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs.

Second Rehab

Perry experienced severe abdominal pain in February 2001, while he was filming the comedy Serving Sara in Dallas. He contacted a local doctor, who advised him to enter rehab immediately. Perry flew to Marina del Rey and checked into the Daniel Freeman Hospital, where he received treatment for his addiction to various drugs including alcohol, amphetamines and opioids.

Third Rehab

Perry announced that he was entering rehab for one month on May 12, 2011, shortly after the cancellation of his comedy series Mr. Sunshine. He said that he had not relapsed and was taking a proactive approach to focus on his continuing sobriety. Perry also invited gossip columnists to enjoy making fun of him.

Current Career

Perry’s work since his latest stay in rehab has included a cameo as himself on the comedy series Children’s Hospital in 2011 and two appearances in 2012 on the legal drama The Good Wife. Perry currently stars in the comedy drama series Go On, which premiered on September 11, 2012.

Get Help

As you can see, sometimes it takes more than one try to get away from addiction. If you or a loved one is fighting addiction, get help today. Call Blu By the Sea and learn more about our treatment facility and how we can help you live an addiction free and fulfilling life once again.