Netflix's new docuseries The One About Matthew Perry premiered on October 27. The three-part docuseries is a tribute to the late Friends actor Matthew Perry, exploring his life beyond his iconic portrayal as Chandler Bing in the famous sitcom. Directed by Emmy winning filmmaker Mary Robertson, the series draws content from interviews with the late actor's sister Mia Perry Bowick, close friends and former partners. It prominently focuses on his rise to fame, personal struggles with addiction and his enduring legacy.
While his sister Mia Perry Bowick overtly spoke about the actor's death for the first time in the new series, his former Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer were absent in the biographical film.
"We did reach out to them, and they declined to participate," told Robertson to Gold Derby, explaining why the five actors were not in the series. Robertson added that she understood their decision, recognising that they loved Perry and were mourning his demise. "We know the cast of Friends were very close with Matthew in real life, and they are grieving," said the director.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Mary Roberton said that many of Perry's loved ones were still coming to terms with a world without him. "I think that many who were close to Matthew were obviously grieving him but also processing and trying to undestand and make sense of how they lost him and why they lost him," she said.
Although Perry's former castmates did not interview for the show, an archival footage featuring the cast is included exhibiting their bond. Matthew Perry, who played Chandler in Friends' 10-season run from 1994-2004, died on 28 October, 2023, from acute effects of ketamine. While his co-actors chose not to revisit their memories on camera, the series draws on family archives and testimonies from those closest to him. Robertson told People that the late actor's memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, inspired her to portray his life story through a documentary. "I've learned through his people that he would this film to be funny, so I hope we did great by you, Matthew, we really tried," Robertson said.
