Matthew Perry opens up in his new book about his showy relationship with Julia Roberts in the mid-1990s and why it ended.
The actor recalls in the autobiographical book “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” according to an excerpt published by The Times of London, that Roberts expressed interest in appearing on “Friends” but “she would only do the show if she was on it.” [Chandler’s] story.”
At the urging of “Friends” creator Marta Kauffman, Perry sent Roberts three dozen roses and a witty card to “woo” the “Pretty Woman” star into taking the job.
"Thus initiated a three-month courtship via daily faxes. This occurred in an era predating the Internet and mobile phones, necessitating that all our communications transpire solely through fax. There were numerous exchanges, numbering in the hundreds," Perry recounts. He proceeds to detail how "three or four times each day, I would find myself seated beside my fax machine, patiently awaiting the gradual unveiling of each new message on the sheet of paper."
Soon, faxes “turned romantic,” leading to “five-hour” phone conversations before the couple met face-to-face.
“When I opened it, there she was, there was a smiling Julia Roberts on the other side. I think I said something like, 'Oh, that Julia Roberts,'” Perry says in the book, recalling his reaction to Chandler's style.
From there, the couple quickly began a relationship and were already together when Roberts appeared on the "Friends" episode that aired after the Super Bowl.
Perry goes on to describe some of the sweetest moments during their brief romance, including a visit to Roberts' family in Taos, New Mexico, for New Year's 1996, but "two months later, he was single."
“Dating Julia Roberts had been too much for me. I had always been sure she was going to break up with me. "Why wouldn't she?" he writes.
Alluding to the crippling problems that he identifies as the core of his past addictive behavior, Perry adds: “It wasn't enough; It could never be enough; I was broken, twisted, I was disgusting.
In his book, Perry also talks about his struggles with alcohol and addiction and what ultimately led him to sobriety.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from re-entering the dark side of everything,” Perry recently told People about the new book. “I had to wait until I was completely sober and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction to write it all down. And the main thing was that I was pretty sure it would help people.”
