Netflix will premiere the three-part documentary series The One About Matthew Perry globally on October 27, arriving just one day before the third anniversary of the actor’s death on October 28, 2023. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Mary Robertson, the project explores the life, career, and long-term struggle with addiction faced by the beloved Friends star, featuring unreleased family archive photos and interviews with people who knew him away from the spotlight.
Inside the Trailer and Voiceover Reflections
In the official trailer released by Netflix, Perry’s voice echoes early in the clip reflecting on his intense desire for celebrity. “I said God, you can do anything you want to me just please make me famous,” Perry says in a voiceover. When that fame arrived, he realized the reality of his wish: “God did not forget the other part.” Across three 50-minute episodes, the series traces Perry from his early days as a young actor in Los Angeles through his run on Friends and his subsequent film and television career.
The documentary also confronts his battles with substance abuse. His younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, notes in the trailer that her brother spent more than $7 million trying to get sober. “All great stories have comedy and tragedy in them,” Bowick says. “That certainly was Matthew’s story. … He spent $7 million trying to get sober. That’s how seriously he took his disease.” Perry is also heard in the footage addressing his addiction directly: “I had people telling me to stop. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep going like this. I just didn’t know how.”
Family and Inner Circle Testimonies
The One About Matthew Perry marks the first time several key figures from the actor’s life are speaking publicly on camera. Mia Perry Bowick, a licensed psychotherapist who shares that she entered the field partly to understand her brother’s struggles, speaks about him for the first time. In a statement accompanying the release date announcement, Bowick reflected on sharing those memories: “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life—to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction.”
The documentary features contributions from lifelong friends, including Roger Castillo—who met Perry at age 17 and drove him to his Friends audition—and actor David Pressman, part of a circle of aspiring actors who frequented Los Angeles’s Formosa Cafe with Perry. Other participants include former girlfriends René Ashton and an actress identified as Rome, former NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield, Season 1 writer-producer Jeff Strauss, and recovery community figures such as Tim Harrington and Evelyn.
Production Background and Creative Team
Director Mary Robertson leads the project, which is produced by Maxine Productions, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Executive producers include Robertson, Lisa Kalikow, Eli Holzman, and Aaron Saidman, with Lora Moftah serving as co-executive producer and Jessica Call as producer. Robertson emphasized the aim of the series in a production statement: “Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time. Through his many films, TV and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone.”
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