Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen has reflected on the late Matthew Perry’s struggles with addiction, sharing his thoughts during a recent interview. The Friends star, who tragically died in October 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine, had long been open about his battle with substance abuse.
Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Sheen revealed that he noticed troubling signs when Perry was promoting his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. “I could tell he wasn’t sober while talking about a book focused on sobriety and recovery,” Sheen said. He further explained that Perry’s voice in the audiobook lacked the sharpness and comedic precision audiences had always admired.
Sheen admitted he regretted not reaching out to Perry after reading his memoir. “I read his book in one day and loved it. I was proud of him, inspired by him. He even mentioned me in the book, joking that one day he would be as famous as Charlie Sheen. I thought about contacting him but didn’t. Sadly, he passed away just weeks later,” Sheen shared.
The Platoon star, who is now promoting his own memoir The Book of Sheen: A Memoir along with a Netflix documentary, expressed that he related deeply to Perry’s experiences with addiction. “I could feel the prison he placed himself in. It’s something I understand very well,” he admitted.
Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in October 2023 and pronounced dead at the age of 54. Toxicology results revealed his death was caused by ketamine toxicity. While he had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression and anxiety, the report confirmed his last medical session occurred more than a week prior to his passing.