Matthew Perry’s greatest work wasn’t Friends. It was a Newsnight appearance
A new Netflix documentary explores the life of Matthew Perry, arguing that his most significant contribution was not his acting career but his advocacy for addiction recovery. The author highlights a 2013 Newsnight interview as the definitive example of Perry's intelligence and compassion.
Why it matters
Re-evaluates the legacy of a pop-culture icon through the lens of mental health and addiction advocacy.
It’s only shown briefly during Netflix’s new, three-part documentary series about the late sitcom superstar, but Perry’s live TV encounter with the author and commentator Peter Hitchens best exemplified his intelligence, his humour and his deep compassion for addicts like him, writes Adam White
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I n his final years, the late Matthew Perry described his hopes that Friends wouldn’t make up the entirety of his legacy. It was a big ask. Chandler Bing was a magnificent ball and chain, whose rhythms, phrasing and neuroses became a shared language across all of culture. Turn on any television set in any country in the world at any time of day and you’ll likely see him, sarcastic and in sweater vests.
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