Netflix Docuseries Examines Perry's Death Through His Sister's Eyes

A new three-episode Netflix docuseries, "The One About Matthew Perry," places the actor's sister, Mia Perry Bowick, at the center of its examination of his life and death. Bowick, who has not previously spoken publicly about her half brother's struggle with addiction, details their shared history as children of actor John Bennett Perry. She also recounts visiting him in rehabilitation facilities and her presence at his bedside following his near-fatal colon rupture in 2018. The series further addresses the circumstances of Perry's death in 2023 from the acute effects of ketamine, an event that resulted in the conviction of five people involved in supplying him with the drug.

Director Mary Robertson stated that the project required the trust of those close to the actor. Following the 2022 publication of Perry's memoir, Robertson's Maxine Productions contacted his publisher and members of his inner circle but received no replies. Work on the series did not begin until after Perry died in 2023. Robertson said she then worked to gain the participation of his friends Roger Castillo and David Pressman. "I understand that Matthew's life was harvested for content by tabloids for many, many, many years, and his friends and his loved ones were fiercely protective of Matthew," Robertson said. "That was their trained response, and a completely understandable one."

The series relies on interviews conducted with Bowick and her husband David. Robertson described the initial meeting as tense for all parties involved. "I remember when we turned on the Zoom cameras for the first meeting, Mia and her husband David looked at each other, and they inhaled and exhaled, and said, 'We're nervous,'" Robertson said. "Then I inhaled and exhaled, and I said, 'We're nervous too.'"

Robertson confirmed that the "Friends" co-stars were contacted for participation but chose not to appear. Their presence remains in the series through archival footage and press interviews. Bowick provides accounts of Perry being taken directly from a rehabilitation facility to film the Season 7 wedding of Monica and Chandler. She also recalls the funeral, where the cast arrived holding hands and stood at the open casket. Warren Littlefield, the former entertainment president of NBC, discusses casting Perry as Chandler and the network's response to his repeated visits to rehabilitation during production.

The production did not include material from Perry's 2022 memoir, with the exception of its opening line. Robertson said the documentary presents information the book cannot provide. "His memoir delivers something that, by definition, is first person, and doesn't include the accounts of those who can describe what it was like to love someone who is completely brilliant and generous and loving, but also grappling with this enormous monster that he carried on his shoulder for most of his life," Robertson said. "This is their account that's missing from the memoir."

The series addresses the investigation into Perry's death. Robertson said, "As much as his final days and hours were heavily covered, there's still some misunderstanding and mystery around what happened." Law enforcement figures provide details regarding the transactions involving ketamine. Robertson noted that friends interviewed for the series were not present in the home on the night he died. "Truth and accuracy are always our North Stars, so on some basic level, the assignment here was to render his last hours and the subsequent investigation, indictments, and sentencing with accuracy," Robertson said.

Robertson has previously directed series concerning celebrity and mental health, including "Framing Britney Spears" and "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV." Her company, Maxine Productions, is also developing financial crime series for Peacock and Paramount+. The three episodes of "The One About Matthew Perry" are streaming on Netflix.