Netflix has set an October 27 global premiere for The One About Matthew Perry, a three-episode documentary series examining the late Friends star’s life, career and struggles with drug use. A newly released two-minute trailer offers an early look at the personal testimony and private family material featured in the project.
🎬 Watch the Trailer
Perry’s own voice introduces one of the trailer’s central themes: the complicated reality of achieving the fame he had wanted. “I said God, you can do anything you want to me just please make me famous,” he says in the clip. Looking back after that success arrived, Perry adds, “God did not forget the other part.”
Netflix describes the production as “an intimate documentary series exploring the life and legacy of Matthew Perry.” Its October 27 release will fall on the third anniversary of Perry’s death.
Family and friends share their memories
Directed by Mary Robertson, The One About Matthew Perry features interviews with people who knew or worked with the actor, including his sister Mia Perry Bowick, close friends David Pressman and Roger Castillo, and former NBC President Warren Littlefield.
The series will also draw from unreleased photographs and videos held in the Perry family’s private archive. Through those materials and interviews, the documentary explores Perry’s work as an actor and comedian while addressing his long-term drug use and efforts to become sober. According to the documentary, Perry spent more than $7 million on those attempts.
Bowick said she needed time before she felt able to participate in such a personal account of her brother’s life.
“It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life—to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” she said in a statement accompanying the premiere-date announcement. “As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.”
She also remembered Perry for the warmth and humor he retained during difficult periods.
“Matthew had a beautiful heart, and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved,” Bowick continued. “I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
The person behind the public figure
Robertson said the documentary was made to present dimensions of Perry’s story that audiences did not know, pairing an examination of his public career with accounts from those closest to him.
“Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time,” the director said. “Through his many films, TV and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone.”
Robertson also pointed to Perry’s willingness to discuss addiction as an important part of what he shared publicly. “He also gave us so much more by bravely speaking about addiction,” she said. “Yet the public only knew part of his story. That’s why we set out to make this film: to let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure.”
The trailer reflects that approach by tracing Perry’s experience with television success and his eventual recognition that fame was not everything he had hoped it would be. Across the three installments, the documentary will combine his reflections with testimony from his sister, friends and other interviewees.
What Happens Next?
All three episodes of The One About Matthew Perry will premiere globally on Netflix on October 27.
Robertson serves as an executive producer alongside Lisa Kalikow, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman. Lora Moftah is co-executive producer, with Jessica Call producing. Maxine Productions, part of Sony Pictures Television, is the production company.