Matthew Perry’s Sister Reveals the ‘Friends’ Cast’s Heartbreaking Final Goodbye in New Netflix Documentary
Nearly 3 years after Matthew Perry’s death, the people who knew him best are finally sharing their memories on camera. Netflix’s new Matthew Perry documentary, ‘The One About Matthew Perry’, premiered on October 27, offering an intimate look at the actor who played Chandler Bing in all 236 episodes of ‘Friends’ between 1994 and 2004.
The 3-part series comes from Emmy-winning director Mary Robertson, known for ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’. She has said the project began after she read Perry’s 2022 memoir, ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’, in a single day and reached out to people connected with its publication about making a film.
At the heart of the documentary is Perry’s younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, speaking about her brother on camera for the first time. Bowick, who became a licensed psychotherapist partly to understand his addiction, shares some of the most personal moments from the actor’s final farewell.
Recalling the private funeral, Bowick explained that the service was very small, limited to close friends and family, and that the family arranged for the casket to be open for a short time. She then described the moment the rest of the ‘Friends’ cast walked in together, noting she hadn’t seen them in roughly 20 years.
Matthew Perry’s sister remembers him as “the most special person on the planet.” The One About Matthew Perry – an intimate documentary series – premieres tomorrow. https://t.co/cVBCH6ybVm
— Netflix (@netflix) October 26, 2026
According to Bowick, Jennifer Aniston was the first to come over and give her a big hug, followed by the rest of the cast. She then recalled Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer walking up to the casket holding hands and standing around him in tears.
The documentary also captures a lighter memory from that day. Bowick shared that during the service she felt as though her brother was right behind her shoulder, making a darkly funny remark that sent her into a fit of laughter at the most inappropriate moment.
Matthew Perry’s sister and friends remember the generous, funny and larger than life man who rose to global superstardom — and share how the actor’s honesty became his greatest legacy. The One About Matthew Perry, an intimate documentary series, premieres October 27. https://t.co/WkQeiF8S3y
— Netflix (@netflix) September 29, 2026
Robertson has said she sees that story as a reflection of Perry’s personality and the way people experience loss. She explained that laughter and mourning can exist side by side. The funeral took place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles in November 2023, 6 days after Perry died at age 54. The cemetery sits near the Warner Bros. studio where the cast filmed the beloved sitcom.
Despite their emotional presence at the funeral, none of Perry’s ‘Friends’ co-stars sat for new interviews. Robertson has said the cast members were asked to take part and declined, adding that they are grieving in their own ways.
They do appear in archival footage, and their love for Perry was clear in the joint statement they released after his death, in which they said they were devastated and described themselves as family rather than simply cast mates.
Instead, the series draws on those closest to Perry, along with unreleased photos and videos from the family archive. Contributors include longtime friend Roger Castillo, former NBC executive Warren Littlefield, and Kevin Pollak, Perry’s co-star in ‘The Whole Nine Yards’.
Tim Harrington, who met Perry at a recovery meeting in 2001, also appears and credits the actor with saving his life. The film revisits how ‘Friends’ production paused in 2001 while Perry went to rehab, including a 2002 Larry King interview in which he discussed focusing on his sobriety.
Bowick has said it took time for her to feel ready to share these memories, explaining that she wanted people to see her brother as a whole person, not only as Chandler or as someone who struggled with addiction. That approach has shaped the series’ tone.
The Hollywood Reporter called the documentary intimate and sincere, if somewhat padded, noting it avoids being a salacious look at his death. For fans still mourning the actor, it offers a tender reminder of the man behind one of TV’s most beloved characters.
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