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Netflix has confirmed that a three-part documentary series about Matthew Perry, titled The One About Matthew Perry, will premiere on 27 October. The project charts the life and career of the actor best known for playing Chandler Bing in Friends, promising to move beyond his on-screen persona to explore the man behind it, including his long-documented struggles with addiction and his subsequent advocacy work.

The series is directed by Mary Robertson, whose previous credits include Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, and is produced through her Maxine Productions banner, part of Sony Pictures Television. She executive produces alongside Lisa Kalikow, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, with Lora Moftah as co-executive producer and Jessica Call producing. Central to the documentary is Perry's sister, Mia Perry Bowick, who features prominently as an interviewee, with some reports noting the inclusion of previously unseen family photographs and home footage. Netflix has also indicated that close friends and creative collaborators of Perry's take part, though it remains unclear whether any of his Friends co-stars appear on camera.

In a statement, Perry Bowick described the difficulty and eventual readiness she felt in revisiting memories of her brother, saying she wanted audiences to see him as a complete person rather than simply his most famous role or his battle with substance abuse. She spoke of his warmth and humour even during difficult periods of his life, and expressed hope that the series would deepen public understanding of his legacy. Robertson echoed this sentiment, praising Perry's comedic talent across film, television and stage, and framing the documentary as an attempt to let those who knew him personally present a fuller picture than the public previously had access to.

Perry died in October 2023 at his Los Angeles home at the age of 54. Los Angeles County's medical examiner later attributed his death to the acute effects of ketamine, with drowning, heart disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid dependence, listed as contributing factors; the death was ruled accidental. Beyond Friends, Perry was known for film roles including Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, Almost Heroes and Three to Tango. The documentary's arrival continues a wave of posthumous attention to his life following his death nearly two years ago.

Where outlets differ

Coverage of Perry's cause of death varies sharply: one report omits it entirely, another mentions it briefly in passing, while a third goes into considerably more detail, citing the medical examiner's specific findings and contributing factors.

One outlet explicitly clarifies that although Mia Perry Bowick is the documentary's central interview subject, she holds no producing credit on the project — a distinction the other reports do not address.

Only one report raises the open question of whether any of Perry's Friends co-stars will appear in the series; the others are silent on this.

The outlets quote slightly different versions of Netflix's official series description/logline, with one framing it around 'a raw record of a life lived in full' and others emphasising his journey 'from rising comedic star' to beloved sitcom icon.

Only one report lists Perry's non-Friends film credits (Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, Almost Heroes, Three to Tango); the others focus solely on Friends and the documentary itself.

• variety.com
• www.hollywoodreporter.com
• deadline.com