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Topics: Matthew Perry, Celebrity, News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Matthew Perry, Celebrity, News
Matthew Perry had more plans to help those struggling with substance abuse before his death.
The late actor had always been vocal about his own struggle with addiction - which he also spoke about in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing - and wanted to help others in the same position.
In fact, he even helped fellow actor Hank Azaria and took The Simpsons star to his first AA meeting.
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"I'm a sober guy for 17 years and I want to say that the night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in," the Night At The Museum star recalled in his moving tribute to Perry.
"As a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise and he totally helped me get sober," Azaria added.
But it wasn't just his pals he helped as Perry also helped those he didn't know - even setting up a sober living facility for men in 2013 called Perry House.
He ran the facility from his multimillion dollar Malibu mansion for two years, but sadly had to close it in 2015 as it became 'too expensive to run', the actor told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
But it didn't deter the Friends star from wanting to do more to help people struggling with addiction, as he reportedly had plans to set up a foundation.
In the wake of his death, those close to Perry apparently want to fulfil the late 54-year-old's wish and get the foundation rolling in his honor, People reports.
In one of Perry's final interviews, he gave a poignant speech to those suffering with substance abuse.
“I want people to understand that they're not alone that there are other people feeling exactly the way they're feeling," he said as he shared his advice.
“That their behavior is not insane, that they have a disease and it's not their fault. "There's a very famous line that people don't change. I happen to know that people do change.
“And I see that every day. I see people getting better. I see the lights in their eyes come on and they get through the terrible part of addiction and the detox and are able to live a normal life as long as they do a certain amount of work everyday.”
Perry also spoke of wanting to be remembered for helping others, as well as his acting accolades.
He said: "I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is he wants to help people.
"That's what I want."