Behind the comedic one-liners and witty sarcasm, Chandler Bing was hiding a secret -- the actor playing the famous sitcom character on "Friends" was battling serious addiction issues.
Matthew Perry revealed to ABC News Wednesday morning that he struggled with depression, alcohol and prescription drug abuse throughout his tenure on the show, which went off the air in 2004, and beyond. Looking back, Perry said he was "a sick guy" and was sent to rehab multiple times as a result.
"Mostly it was drinking, you know, and opiates," Perry told ABC. "I think I was pretty good at hiding it but, you know, eventually people were aware."
The media regularly covered his addiction as well as his weight and appearance fluctuations, which something a now-sober Perry said aided in his recovery.
Since that time, the 43-year-old has made a mission of helping other addicts find their own paths to sobriety. After joining forces with addiction specialist Earl Hightower, he transformed his former place in Malibu, California into a sober living home for men called the Perry House. Perry and Hightower were honored earlier this month with the Champion of Recovery award from the Obama Administration's Office of National Drug Control Policy.
"We're award-winning alcoholics," Perry joked.
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