A Look At Matthew Perry's Longtime Friendship With Hank Azaria

Reflecting on their close bond, Hank Azaria credited his "brother" Matthew Perry with setting him on the path to sobriety as he struggled with addiction at one point during his career. "I'm a sober guy for 17 years, and I wanna say that, the night I went into AA [Alcoholics Anonymous], Matthew brought me in," he said. He went on to praise Perry for being generous and supportive, saying that the actor would even go with him to these AA meetings. "He was so caring and giving and wise, and he totally helped me get sober," he said.

 The "Tuesdays with Morrey" star also reflected on Perry's own lifelong battle with addiction, which the "Friends" star talked about in interviews and in his book "Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing." "A lot of us who were close to him felt like we lost him to drugs and alcohol a long time ago because — as he documented in his autobiography — there was so much suffering," Azaria said. He admitted that seeing his friend's pain in black and white was a tough experience as he wished Perry was able to find more happiness in his life. 

While promoting his memoir on the "Q with Tom Power" podcast, Perry said he took pride in helping other people in their own journey towards sobriety. He also expressed his wish to leave behind a legacy that goes beyond his work on "Friends" and his stellar acting career. "I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker. And his paramount thing is that he wants to help people," he said, per Time. "That's what I want."

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