Matthew Perry couldn't watch any of Friends back because of heartbreaking reason

While Matthew Perry may have starred in Friends, he was unable to watch any episodes back because of a heartbreaking reason.

Much of the world is mourning the tragic death of Perry after he passed at the age of 54 on 28 October.

Many have paid tribute to the actor in recent days, including some of those who knew him best.

For years, Perry and his five Friends co-stars were the biggest stars on the planet, with millions tuning in to watch the sitcom every week.

And to this day, fans still continue to watch Friends over and over again.

However, Perry, who played joker Chandler Bing in the long-running show, admitted that he couldn't bring himself to watch it back.

During his time on Friends, the actor struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.

Speaking to CBC last year, Perry said he couldn't 'watch the show back' because he could spot what kind of substances he was taking in each season.

CBC

"I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 128 lbs, I was on Friends getting watched by 30 million people - and that’s why I can’t watch the show, ‘cause I was brutally thin," he said.

"I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go, 'Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine'.

"I could tell season by season by how I looked. That’s why I don’t wanna watch it, because that’s what I see."

Recalling one particularly bad hangover he experienced while on set, Perry said he struggled to stand up straight.

"At one point I was shaking so much that if I was gonna go from the bookshelf to the table, I’d have to quickly do it and put my hand on the table so I wouldn’t shake," he said. "It got that bad.”

During the interview, Perry began to tear up as he expressed how devastating that period was for him.

NBC

He said: "You know, the thing that always makes me cry - and I hope I don’t cry here - is that it’s not fair. It’s not, it’s not fair.

"It’s not fair that I had to go through this disease while the other five didn’t. They got everything that I got, but I had to fight this thing - and still have to fight this thing."

Speaking to People, Perry revealed that his alcoholism was just taking root when he landed the role that would change his life on the astronomically popular sitcom.

When officers responded to the actor's home in Los Angeles on 28 October, there were no drugs at the scene.

If you've been affected by the contents of this article and are looking for confidential and anonymous information related to drug addiction treatment you can call American Addiction Centers on 405-251-8425 available 24 hours seven days-a-week.