Why the ‘Friends’ Cast Refused to Appear in Netflix’s Matthew Perry Documentary

Matthew Perry spent years gracing the big and small screens with his comedic timing. Behind the laughs, however, was a complicated man with a long struggle with substance abuse. Three years after his death, Netflix will explore that man in The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries about his life and struggles. The series will use interviews with those who knew him best to paint a complete picture of Perry. The cast members he spent a decade with on Friends won’t be included, though. According to reports, they all declined the chance to appear.

The ‘Friends’ cast won’t appear in Netflix’s ‘The One About Matthew Perry’

Friends was Matthew Perry’s defining role. It’s the one that made him famous, and for years, the cast operated like a family. Decades after the series finale, though, the cast members have moved in different directions, and none of the five surviving stars is interested in appearing in the docuseries, according to a source who spoke to Page Six.

The insider told the outlet that the cast members were approached and decided not to participate. A second insider claimed that a sit-down interview would have been too difficult for Jennifer Aniston in particular, alleging the star doesn’t want to relive his death so publicly.

The report didn’t address the motivations of the other four cast members. All five surviving cast members attended Perry’s funeral, but Aniston appeared to grieve the most publicly of the five. Recently, a photo album that included a note from Aniston to Perry was set to be auctioned off before it was pulled from the sale. The personal letter, written around the time Friends ended, spoke about her fear for Perry’s well-being.

The cast has remained tight-lipped about the project, as has Netflix. The streaming service has not confirmed or denied whether the Friends cast was asked to take part in the docuseries.

Who is in the documentary?

Without Perry’s Friends castmates, the series leans on the people who knew him away from the iconic set. The three-part series features Perry’s family, longtime friends, and people who knew him through different periods of his life. His younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, features heavily in the docuseries.

Roger Castillo, a friend Perry met in Los Angeles when he was just 17, and David Pressman, another close pal, are also set to appear. The documentary will also feature unreleased photos and videos from the family’s private archive.

How did Matthew Perry die?

Matthew Perry died in October 2023 at 54 from a ketamine overdose. His personal assistant found him unresponsive in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home. Since his death, five people, including that assistant, have pleaded guilty and been sentenced for their roles in supplying Perry with ketamine.

The One About Matthew Perry premieres October 27, one day before the three-year anniversary of his death, and consists of three 50-minute episodes.