In Reply to: Matthew Perry of "Friends" has left the stage. RIP Matthew. posted by free.ranger on October 30, 2023 at 08:41:31:
My daughter is a fan, read the book and went to see him speak at a book signing in Brooklyn.
She learned that as young kid, whenever sick the family doctor prescribed barbiturates, which basically primed him for abusing drugs and addiction.
"I'm told I took phenobarbital during the second month of my life, between the ages of thirty and sixty days. This is an important time in a baby's development, especially when it comes to sleeping. (Fifty years later I still don't sleep well.) Once the barbiturate was on board, I would just conk out. Apparently, I'd be crying, and the drug would hit, and I'd be knocked out, and this would cause my father to erupt in laughter. He wasn't being cruel, stoned babies are funny."
"I want to be very clear on this point. I do NOT blame my parents for this. Your child is crying all the time, clearly something is wrong, the doctor prescribes a drug, he's not the only doctor who thinks it's a good idea, you give the drug to the child, the child stops crying. It was a different time."
It was very encouraging that he had gotten his life back in order.
While likely not a popular thing to say around here, I really enjoyed Friends when it was running, still watch it and think its great. Perry was hilarious and in interviews seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
Very sad that he has passed. RIP.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
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Follow Ups
- His autobiography ... - reelsmith. 14:58:45 11/01/23 (1)
- My family... - grantv 15:14:28 11/01/23 (0)