0And Now, For Something Nice: Matthew Perry Gets White House Recovery Award

Matthew Perry has been incredibly open about his struggle with drug addiction and faced a lot of bad press in his way for it, but he’s turned a terrible time in his life into something incredibly positive by working to help others recover and get their lives back on track. That work hasn’t gone unnoticed, either – the actor was given the Champion of Recovery award (which I didn’t even know was a thing) from the White House and US Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske (we have a drug czar?) this week for “giving a voice to the millions of Americans in recovery”.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske presented the award to Perry at a meeting attended by Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and others. The certificate of appreciation lauds the actor for “giving a voice to the millions of Americans in recovery.”

Perry called the ONDCP honor “surreal.” “During my darkest times, I never could of imagined receiving an award at the White House,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Had I been arrested, I would be sitting in prison somewhere with a tattoo on my face,” Perry tells THR. “I’m very lucky that I never got arrested.”

After the White House meeting, Perry joined drug court advocates in speaking at a Capitol Hill briefing with Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. He also managed to write a blog post for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

“Over time, I learned that drug courts are a wonderful solution to one of the biggest problems facing our criminal justice system: people suffering from substance-use disorders who are caught in the cycle of arrest and incarceration,” Perry wrote in the post that appeared on the White House website. “Many of these individuals require treatment, not a jail cell, and drug courts provide them a means of getting the treatment they need.”

Good for him, seriously. He’s living proof that if you really want to turn your life around and you work hard at it and surround yourself with people who want that for you, as well, you can do it. Thumbs up, Matthew Perry.

May 7, 2013 at 10:30 am by Jennifer

11Matthew Perry Used To Get Really F-cked Up On Opiates

Matthew Perry has had a tough go of it over the years, what with his drug addiction problems, intermittent weight gain and loss and multiple failed/shitty TV shows (because let’s be honest, he’s Chandler Bing forever and that’s pretty much the end of the road). He didn’t just f-ck around with the tame stuff, either – it was opiates he was after, so that pretty much means he was smoking heroin (I know that’s not the only opiate, but if someone has to refer to them as “opiates”, they’re most likely doing so in lieu of saying the H word) and that shit is no joke.

Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative University conference, Perry shared the highs and lows of his experience with attendees, saying:

“I was so hooked on opiates,” he explained, “that I couldn’t even leave my bedroom.” (via Neon Tommy)

He went through rehab and got clean, however, and has decided to “live for others” now that he’s not living for the drugs. He even made a rather astute joke about how the only time he got on the cover of People was when he decided to go to rehab. That’s showbiz for ya, kid. Good for him for getting and (sorta) staying sober.

April 10, 2013 at 12:42 pm by Jennifer

4MONICA AND CHANDLER REUNITE!…Sort Of

Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry, AKA Monica + Chandler = 4eva, are going to be reunited on television. Ms. Cox is filming a role on Mr. Perry’s show Go On [And Cancel Us Already] at this very moment. Yay! Above is the photo she posted on her twitter account with, “My first box husband.” (I guess she means first television husband? What an…interesting way to say that. Or something? I don’t know, what’s going on?)

THEN, Perry posted a photo of his own, on his twitter account, tweeting “Yayyyyyyyy!”

Yay indeed, everyone! Seeing this photo is making me feel old. Cox looks like my therapist now. And Perry looks adorable but may want to rethink that 12 year-old at the skater park hairdo. Or not, whatever. I’M BREEZY!

February 19, 2013 at 3:30 pm by Catherine St. Ives

4Oh, Hello There, Matthew Perry and Lizzy Caplan

Ever discover that two of your acquaintances are dating? Have you had this happen? And you’re like, “Oh, wow. That’s so random. I didn’t realize they even knew each other.”

And for a moment you catch yourself wrinkling your nose at this new information, because he’s a busboy and she’s in HR, and he has tattoos and she wears suits. But then your brain’s motor starts whirring, and you think, “Well, they do both listen to a lot of NPR. And I’ve heard them each talk, separately, about how much they like Community.”

And then you really start putting it all together, and you slowly realize they both have a lot of the same weird tics and mannerisms, and you’re like, “Why, how did I never think of it! That’s the greatest pairing in the history of humankind!”

Introducing Matthew Perry and Lizzy Caplan! Wow. Just, wow. Can you imagine going on a double-date with this couple? Can you imagine how wry they both are? And you’d sit across from them at dinner, frowning all night. And finally you’d go, “Are you two kidding? Just now, was that some kind of a joke? Because my sarcast-o-meter is going off-the-charts, but I can’t process any of this.”

Mind-blowing! Yeah, they’re my new favorite pair.

Pictured: Chandler Bing and Casey Klein at the US Open; image via Celebuzz.

September 10, 2011 at 9:00 am by Jenn

1Matthew Perry’s Going Back to Rehab

This is pretty commendable: Actor Matthew Perry, who previously did three stints in rehab for alcohol abuse and prescription pill addiction, is going back to rehab but not because he relapsed, he just wants to continue his recovery process.

In a public statement, Matthew said, “I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the World Wide Web.”

Basically Matthew’s doing more than just the standard AA and NA treatments. He’s putting his money to good use and aggressively ensuring that he’s living his life sober. He also seems to have a pretty good handle on how the Internet reacts to the news of ANYONE going to rehab, even if they’re not some total fuck up.

Sorry I had to start the day with such positive news, I know that that’s probably not what you were hoping for. ;)

May 13, 2011 at 4:30 am by Molls

4Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry in “Cyber Sitcom” for Windows 95

Okay, okay, this is really old, but it just came across my inbox and I had to share it. I’d never seen it before.

It’s Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston, many, many years ago, in a training video for Windows 95.

Yes, it’s every bit as painful as it sounds. And you wonder how much they got paid to do this.

But is it more painful than buckling down and finishing those expense reports you’re supposed to be working on?

Only you can make that decision, dear readers.

Part II is after the jump.

Thanks Marc!

(more…)

August 26, 2008 at 7:36 am by Evil Beet