Netflix sets release date for Matthew Perry documentary: Series to explore Friends star’s life and legacy

Netflix has locked in a premiere date for its upcoming documentary on the life of Matthew Perry, the actor who became a household name playing Chandler Bing across ten seasons of Friends. The three-part series, titled The One About Matthew Perry, will debut on the platform October 27

Behind the project is Mary Robertson, an Emmy-winning director best known for helming Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV and previously producing Framing Britney Spears. The series is produced through her banner, Maxine Productions, a division of Sony Pictures Television. Alongside Robertson, the executive producer roster includes Lisa Kalikow, Eli Holzman, and Aaron Saidman, with Lora Moftah serving as co-executive producer and Jessica Call as producer.

Netflix is billing the project as the first comprehensive documentary look at Perry's life, built around interviews with people closest to him. Central to the series is Perry's sister, Mia Perry Bowick, described by Netflix as a licensed psychotherapist, writer, and speaker, whose testimony anchors the narrative, alongside accounts from several of Perry's lifelong friends. Notably, Bowick was not involved on the production side of the documentary. It remains unclear whether any of Perry's Friends castmates will make an appearance.

In its announcement, Netflix opened on Perry's nearly decade-long run playing one of television's sarcasm icon, noting that across 236 episodes, he transformed everyday awkwardness into some of sitcom history's most memorable lines. The streamer also emphasized that Perry's willingness to speak openly about his addiction became as much a part of his legacy as his comedic work.

The series will also draw on never-before-seen photographs and home videos pulled from the Perry family's private archive, woven together with recollections from his creative collaborators to paint a fuller portrait of his career and private struggles.

In a statement, Robertson described Perry as one of the defining comedic talents of his era, noting that his performances brought joy to millions while his openness about addiction gave audiences something even more significant — though she added that the public had only ever seen part of his full story.

Perry died on October 28, 2023, at his Los Angeles home at age 54. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled that he died from the acute effects of ketamine. The case eventually led to criminal charges against five people, including two doctors and a woman dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" in connection with supplying the drug. Perry had spoken candidly for years about his long struggle with substance abuse before his death.