John Mulaney is one of the most popular comedians in the world, but he has also struggled with substance abuse for most of his life. In a recent interview with Variety, he opened up about how he felt a connection with the late Matthew Perry, who also battled with addiction and died tragically last month.
Mulaney, 41, said that he read Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, and was moved by the actor’s honest and heartbreaking account of his drug and alcohol problems. Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends, died at his Los Angeles home after an apparent drowning on October 28. He was 54.
“I really identified with his story. I’m thinking about him a lot,” Mulaney told Variety. He added that addiction is like a “disaster” that makes life more unstable and chaotic. “Then drugs just kick the f–king legs out from under the table,” he said.
John, Mulaney has been open about his own journey to sobriety, which has not been easy. He revealed that he started drinking when he was 13 years old, and then moved on to cocaine and other prescription drugs. He told Esquire in 2019 that he drank for attention and to cope with his insecurities. He also said that he felt like he was performing a “physical feat” by mixing drugs and alcohol. “Three Vicodin and a tequila and I’m still standing. Who’s the athlete now?” he said.
He decided to quit when he was 23, after a wild weekend that made him realize that he was “out of control” and that he didn’t like himself anymore. He managed to stay sober for 20 years, until he relapsed in 2020 and checked into rehab for alcoholism and cocaine addiction.
He recalled the moment when he walked into his intervention, thinking that he had found the perfect balance of drugs. “One pocket all coke. One pocket all Xanax and I was like ‘I have done it. I reached equilibrium,’” he said on the “This Past Weekend with Theo Von” podcast in April. He also lied that he hadn’t used drugs in several days, when he had just been to his dealer’s apartment.
John Mulaney: “I am, at my core, a happy person”
Mulaney has since recovered from his relapse and celebrated almost three years of sobriety in October. He said that he was a “happy person” at his core, and that he wanted to live the life he chose. He also said that he had set up some obstacles in his own way that made him unhappy and disoriented. “But I am, at my core, a happy person. And it’s OK for me to protect that by living the life I want to live. I don’t want to be the reason [my life] gets complicated,” he said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Mulaney is not only working on his personal life, but also on his professional projects. He is set to star in the upcoming Amazon series The Citadel, alongside Richard Madden. He is also producing and starring in a romantic comedy film called Text for You, which will feature cameos from Celine Dion and Sam Heughan.
We admire Mulaney’s courage and honesty in sharing his addiction story, and we hope that he continues to find happiness and success in his life. We also send our condolences to Perry’s family and friends, and we remember him for his talent and humor.
What do you think of Mulaney’s connection with Perry’s story? Let us know in the comments box below!
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