Hank Azaria Credits Matthew Perry With Helping Him Get Sober

Matthew Perry’s sudden death at the end of October stunned the entertainment world and sent both fans and celebrities into deep mourning. Perry’s Friends co-stars issued a joint statement and were on hand for his private funeral. Other celebrities have stepped forward to share their memories of Perry, too. Hank Azaria revealed that he largely credits Matthew Perry with getting him started on his sobriety journey.

Hank Azaria credits Matthew Perry with helping him get sober 

Mad About You star Hank Azaria is mourning the loss of Matthew Perry along with the world and opening up about his own experience with the troubled actor. Azaria shared his thoughts on Instagram. He revealed that Perry was one of the first people he met when he moved to Los Angeles. Despite Azaria being five years older than Perry, they became friends. He went on to reveal that Perry brought him into AA and helped him work the steps during the first years of his program. That was 17 years ago. 

While Azaria celebrated year after year of sobriety, Perry struggled to remain sober. The star put in a lot of effort, spending millions on treatments and rehab centers, he revealed in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Remaining completely sober, however, was always a struggle. The memoir, published last year, was an instant bestseller and dealt heavily with his drug and alcohol abuse. 

In 2020, Azaria spoke about his sobriety with NPR. He told the outlet that he had more than a decade of sober time but was well acquainted with the community from his years in Al-Anon. He told the publication that the creators of Brockmire used some of his own experiences. In his 2020 interview, he did not discuss Perry’s influence. 

There are no signs that Matthew Perry was not sober at the time of his death 

While Perry struggled with addiction throughout his life, several sources claim the Friends star had found sobriety before his death. The actual cause of his death has yet to be released, with his current death certificate filed as “deferred.” A cause of death is often listed as “deferred” when further examination and testing are needed to confirm how a person died. In some cases, an actual cause can not be determined. 

Despite all of that, there were no signs at the scene that suggested Perry was using illicit substances. No drugs or drug paraphernalia was found with Perry, and the only drugs found in his home were prescribed directly to the actor. Perry spent the morning of his death playing pickleball with friends. He interacted with an assistant before his death, as well, and nothing seemed amiss. 

Perry was buried on Nov. 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. The private funeral was attended by his former co-stars as well as other close friends and family members.