Almost three years after the sudden and tragic passing of beloved Friends star Matthew Perry, Netflix has announced a three-part documentary series titled The One About Matthew Perry, offering his fans and audiences an unprecedented look into his complex life and enduring legacy.
Netflix Tudum said it offers a deeply personal exploration of the man who brought to life on screen, noting that it will serve as a raw record of a life lived in full
Here are five key things to know about the upcoming tribute docu-series before it drops on the streaming platform:
has officially scheduled the global premiere of The One About Matthew Perry for 27 October 2026.
The release is timed precisely one day before the third anniversary of the actor’s untimely death on 28 October 2023, following an accidental overdose at age 54.
The three-part docu-series, Netflix Tudum said, shows that the real-life Perry was just as outspoken about the pain behind the laughter, which stemmed from the battle with addiction he endured for much of his life.
“The world mourned not only a comedic icon but an advocate whose candour about his illness had become a legacy of its own,” Tudum wrote.
While Perry lived much of his adult life in the intense glare of the spotlight, the docu-series promises a deeply intimate look at his private world away from the cameras.
His family has generously opened their personal, private archives for the production, providing the filmmakers with exclusive and unprecedented access, Tudum reported.
The documentary will feature unreleased photographs and home video footage that no one outside his immediate inner circle has ever seen.
A central pillar of the documentary’s narrative is the involvement of Perry’s close family and friends, who offer intimate testimonies about the generous, funny, and larger-than-life person they knew behind closed doors.
Most notably, the series will feature the first interview with his younger sister, Mia Perry Bowick, since his passing, according to a report by Tudum. She grew up with him in Los Angeles and became a licensed psychotherapist, partly to understand his addiction.
“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 told Tudum.
Bowick said Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. “I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
Perry was always remarkably candid about his severe, decades-long battles with substance abuse, having previously revealed he attended rehab at least 15 times.
The documentary explores how his intense early ambitions for fame—which he famously prayed for—could not fix the deep emptiness and loneliness he felt inside once he achieved it.
In a striking revelation, Perry spent approximately $7 million over the course of his life desperately trying to get sober “He spent $7 million trying to get sober. That’s how seriously he took his disease,” said Bowick in the trailer.
The documentary project is directed by Emmy winner Mary Robertson, known for tackling sensitive and complex subjects.
“Matthew Perry was one of the comedic geniuses of our time,” Robertson, whose previous documentary work includes the high-profile investigative series Quiet on Set, told Tudum.
“Through his many films, TV, and stage performances, and his unforgettable portrayal of Chandler Bing, he made millions of us laugh, connect, and feel a little less alone,” she said. “He also gave us so much more by bravely speaking about addiction.”
Robertson said the series is aimed to “let the people who knew and loved Matthew reveal the person behind the public figure.”
