Die-hard Friends fans have been aching for more content for the longest time and, now, they have it in the form of HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion, which dropped this past week. The special was filled with plenty of fun moments and stories from the actors' time working on the iconic sitcom. While it was awesome to see the gang back together again for only the second time in 17 years, some people noticed that Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing, exhibited slurred speech during the special. Now, one of the producers of the show has responded to concerns regarding the actor's health.
Friends executive producer Kevin Bright, as a part of The Hollywood Reporter interview with creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, responded to a question about Matthew Perry’s health, which may have been prompted by the slurred speech in the reunion special. Although he did not dive into specifics regarding Perry’s exact health status, he does say that he was able to speak with Perry and had the impression that he was much improved. Here it is in Bright’s own words:
I talked to him. It was great seeing him again. And what people say is what people say. I don’t have any to say about that, except it was great to see him. And I think he’s very funny on the show. But yes, I think he’s OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward.
Kevin Bright provided a respectful response, not commenting on the specifics of Matthew Perry's personal status but mostly saying how glad he was to reunite with the actor. In regard to his health, Perry, unfortunately, struggled with addiction for many years and has even previously admitted that he cannot remember filming a few seasons of Friends due to alcohol consumption.
Luckily, Matthew Perry seems to be doing better on that front and, in the years since Friends ended, Perry has acted in films and on TV shows. His most popular is probably the 13 Going on 30-esque 17 Again with Zac Efron. The actor has also headlined TV shows like Go On and The Odd Couple. Perry is next set to appear on the big screen in Adam McKay's Don't Look Up, in which he stars alongside the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.
It's honestly best that Kevin Bright didn't go into detail regarding Matthew Perry's health, as the actor deserves his privacy, something Bright seems to understand. It's great to hear that things seem to be looking good for the star, though, especially now that he is looking forward to new endeavors. It was a joy to see him participate in the reunion and, as with the rest of his co-stars, we wish him all the best moving forward.
And after you watch the reunion special, you can watch past seasons of Friends, which are streaming on HBO Max now!
