Matthew Perry wittily replies after photos of him looking disheveled spark concerns
'Friends' actor Matthew Perry was recently pictured in public for the first time in nearly two years after reports of his health battles. The 49-year-old, however, sparked concerns among fans as he looked disheveled while walking in Manhattan on Thursday. The actor has previously battled depression and substance addiction.
Perry, who reportedly spent three months in hospital last year for a ruptured bowel, was spotted wearing loose-fitting stained clothes and sported a large mark on his cheek. The star's hands also appeared swollen and had long unkempt fingernails. Known for his wit, Perry who rarely posts on Twitter, tweeted out saying, "I’m getting a manicure this morning. That’s okay right? I mean it says man right in the word."
Perry, known worldwide for his role as the sarcastic Chandler Bing, has not starred in a movie since '17 Again' in 2009, however, he has continued to act in plays. He has also made appearances in multiple TV series including 'The Good Wife', 'Mr. Sunshine' and 'Go On'. However, he has not been spotted on screen since 2017, according to reports.
The actor sparked concerns earlier this year in February when he tweeted that he was kicked out of therapy, offering no more details. He was inundated with messages from his fans offering support and wrote the next day: "Easy guys, it was just one session. I'm back in therapy where I belong." The tweet came after the star was admitted to hospital mid-2018 for three months after he had surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation.
He also tweeted about his hospital stay in a tongue-in-cheek message, writing: "Three months in a hospital bed. Check." His surgery at the time was confirmed by his representative who said: "He is grateful for the concern and asks for continued privacy as he heals."
Perry is now a vocal addiction recovery advocate after battling with addictions to alcohol and prescription drugs like Vicodin, during his time on 'Friends'. He reportedly became addicted to the prescription drug after a jet-ski accident in 1997. The drug was prescribed to him to alleviate his pain. The actor, later that year, completed a 28-day program for Vicodin addiction and later told Larry King that he took the painkiller "mostly just to not drink as much as I was," according to the Daily Mail. The Canada-born actor, three years later, lost nearly 20 pounds because of pancreatitis.
The actor entered rehab again in 2001 to recover from his use of Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol. Perry eventually opened about his addiction battles in 2013, telling People: "I was on Friends from age 24 to 34. I was in the white-hot flame of fame. The six of us were just everywhere all the time. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem like I had it all. It was actually a very lonely time for me because I was suffering from alcoholism." He added. "It was going on before Friends, but it's a progressive disease."
Matthew told the Hill, "Any opportunity I get to talk about drug courts on a one-on-one level or a much bigger level—like testifying in that scary room—I grab at because it's just one of the few things that's a no-brainer: It saves lives, it saves money, it's bipartisan."
Perry, last year, bought a $20 million luxury penthouse apartment in Century City and sold his home in the Hollywood Hills for $12.5 million.