A new documentary exploring Matthew Perry's life and career is available on Netflix. The project, titled "The One About Matthew Perry," styled in the way that all "Friends" episodes are named, features interviews and testimonies from his sister, Mia Perry Bowick. It also features testimony from his friends, ex-girlfriends, recovery peers, and more.
One glaring omission, though, is the main cast of "Friends," who worked with Perry for almost a decade, working alongside each other through 10 seasons of television. Despite the fact that the documentary is a tribute to the series, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc declined to be involved with the documentary series.
The film's director, Mary Robertson, explained why. "I know that the cast of 'Friends' loves Matthew and is grieving him," Robertson told USA TODAY.
"We did reach out to them, and they decided not to participate. I'm really proud of the fact that we have accounts from others who worked on the set of 'Friends' and who were instrumental in its success."
Robertson's link with Perry
Robertson has been following Perry's career closely, and has wanted to adapt his story ever since he published his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing," which documents his life and his addiction, sharing an intimate account of his journey with alcohol and drugs while he starred in "Friends."
Following his death, Robertson began to reach out to his family members, including his sister Mia, who is featured in the series and makes statements on camera for the first time since her brother's death. She shares an intimate account of her brother, including his different episodes in rehab and a health scare in 2018, after having a near-fatal colon rupture.
© GettyImages"I wrote a letter to Mia, along with a few of my colleagues, and we crossed our fingers and clicked send, probably thinking that odds are we would never hear back because how many requests had she received over the years," Robertson told USA TODAY.
"We were one of many, but we did hear back. I screamed when she wrote back."
"The One About Matthew Perry" is a three-part series, and it's now streaming on Netflix.
