How Matthew Perry Helped His Friend & Simpsons Star Get Sober

Voice actor and comedian Hank Azaria told a seriously personal — and touching — story in the aftermath of Matthew Perry's tragic passing. 

According to Azaria, Perry was not only an invaluable friend to Azaria throughout his career, but the "Friends" star was also instrumental in Azaria's sobriety journey. Perry was incredibly open about his drug and alcohol addictions and worked tirelessly as a sobriety advocate after getting sober himself. In Perry's 2022 memoir "Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing," Perry wrote extensively about his addiction and how it affected him while filming "Friends," and he proved time and time again that he wanted to help anybody that he could when it came to addiction. Azaria, apparently, was one of those people.

"I'm a sober guy for 17 years, and I wanna say that, the night I went into [Alcoholics Anonymous," Matthew brought me in," Azaria said in an Instagram video. "The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together. As a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise. And he totally helped me get sober. And I really wish he could've, you know, found the — found it in himself to stay with the sober life more consistently. But it's heartbreaking, for those of us who loved him and knew him really well, personally ... We just missed him. We just missed him. It's one of the terrible things about this disease, is it just takes away the person you love."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Hank Azaria also revealed that he and Matthew Perry met when they were much younger — and at a time when they were both in the early days of their respective addictions. Still, Azaria says they were support systems for each other. "Matthew was the first friend I made in Los Angeles," Azaria recalled. "When I moved there, I was 21; he was 16. Matthew and I became really good friends and we were really more like brothers for a long time. We drank a lot together, we laughed a lot together, we were there for each other in the early days of our career."

The "Simpsons" star also admitted that, while Perry could be an extremely fun presence, it was clear that he was troubled, and that his addiction often affected his relationships. "I really loved him," Azaria said. "A lot of us who were close to him felt like we lost him to drugs and alcohol a long time ago because — as he documented in his autobiography — there was so much suffering."

Perry was found unresponsive and declared dead on October 28, apparently having drowned in his Jacuzzi; no drugs were found at the scene, and reports have surfaced that his toxicology report didn't show any signs of drug use. At the time of his passing, Perry was 54. Losing a man who was aware of and vocal about his demons — and a man who did everything possible to help others facing those same demons — is devastating in so many ways, and thanks to his role as Chandler Bing, Perry was beloved by fans the world over. Hearing Azaria's story is especially gutting, and hopefully, it ensures Perry's legacy as a fierce advocate for healthy sobriety.