Netflix Sets ‘The One About Matthew Perry,’ a Three-Part Documentary on the Late ‘Friends’ Star

Summary

Netflix has announced The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part documentary series exploring the life and legacy of the late actor

The series is anchored by his sister Mia Perry Bowick and lifelong friends, drawing on unreleased photos and videos from the family's private archive

Directed by Emmy winner Mary Robertson, it premieres October 27

Netflix has officially announced The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part documentary series chronicling the life and legacy of the late actor who became a generation’s favorite Friend. Positioned as the first in-depth documentary about Perry, the series sets out to draw a fuller portrait of the man behind Chandler Bing, told through the people who knew him most closely.

The series traces Perry’s path from a rising comedic talent to global fame on Friends, the sitcom on which he played Chandler Bing across 236 episodes between 1994 and 2004. His self-effacing, quick-witted delivery turned everyday anxieties into some of television’s most quoted lines and made him, for millions of viewers, the emotional center of the show. But the documentary is built around the understanding that the public only ever saw part of his story.

What separates this project from a straightforward career retrospective is its access. The three parts are anchored by never-before-heard testimony from Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, a licensed psychotherapist, writer and speaker, alongside lifelong best friends and creative collaborators. Their firsthand memories are woven together with unreleased photos and videos pulled from the Perry family’s private archive, giving the series a vantage point closer to home than his public image ever allowed. Candid new detail on his private struggles, including the addiction he spoke about openly and advocated around, runs throughout rather than sitting apart as a separate chapter.

For Bowick, the involvement was years in the making. “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life — to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction,” she said, adding that she hoped the series would give those who loved him a deeper appreciation for who he truly was. Director Mary Robertson, an Emmy winner, framed the project as an effort to reach past the icon. “Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time,” she said. “That’s why we set out to make this series: to let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure.”

The One About Matthew Perry premieres October 27 on Netflix.