Matthew Perry’s slurred speech in Friends Reunion video worries fans

Friends actor Matthew Perry has been vocal about his struggles with addiction which have noticeably altered his appearance over the years. The Friends Reunion trailer released on May 19 brought fans joy, but some were concerned over the state of the actor who seems to be slurring his words. This led to a barrage of tweets regarding the actor’s health and concerns over his addiction.

Coupled with his slurred sentences were blank stares and long pauses that raised questions over his well-being. A Friends Reunion exclusive video released by People magazine to promote the HBO Max special earlier this week was the first sign of Perry’s garbled speech. He appeared in the video with former co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc who discussed their time on the Friends set together.

When asked if Perry ever took a souvenir from the old set, he said, “I stole the cookie jar that had the clock on it.” The actor pronounced a distinct “sh” sound at the beginning of stole which quickly came to the fans’ notice. This was accompanied with other comments by the actor in the video that made his memory seem hazy and his speech disjointed.

Unable to bear the predicament of their favourite character from Friends, Chandler Bing, fans on Twitter began wondering if the actor is healthy. His empty gazes and slow speech made fans sad and worried.

Perry’s struggles began in 1997 after a jet-ski accident left him addicted to Vicodin. His drug problems spiralled further and led to severe memory loss - the actor does not remember filming multiple seasons of Friends since he was heavily drugged and would routinely show up to work hungover.

The actor, who has sobered up now after multiple relapses, is engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz who was on set with him for the reunion episode. The Friends Reunion is all set to premiere on HBO Max on May 27.