John Mulaney ‘Identified’ with Matthew Perry’s Addiction Struggles
John Mulaney attends 'John Mulaney in Conversation with Fred Armisen' at 92NY on May 31, 2023 in New York City. Matthew Perry arrives at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
Comedian John Mulaney may have never met the late Friends star Matthew Perry, but their lives had many parallels. Perry was very open about his struggles with addiction throughout his career, while Mulaney has also spoken publicly about his substance abuse issues. In a new interview with Variety this week, Mulaney, 41, tells the publication, “Addiction is just a disaster. Life is like a wobbly table at a restaurant and you pile all this s— on it, and it gets wobblier and wobblier and more unstable. Then drugs just kick the f—ing legs out from under the table.”
Mulaney read Perry’s 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, saying he related to the actor’s battles. “I really identified with his story. I’m thinking about him a lot,” Mulaney says of Perry, who passed away at 54 years old. Being three years sober now, Mulaney also spoke about crafting his Netflix comedy special, Baby J, which details his 2020 relapse and becoming a father to son Malcolm with actress Olivia Munn. The Big Mouth voice actor admitted to being hesitant about sharing the darker parts of his story with audiences.
“I’ve had bits my entire career where I think, ‘Oh, this is a little dark. I don’t know if people are going to go with this,'” he recalls. “For some reason, I attract an audience from 70 years old to seven, and I’m aware of how this is going to play with the great big group that I’m very lucky to have assembled. I just knew that this vein would be interesting to people.”
The comedian is currently on a 22-city comedy tour, which runs until January 26, 2024. On stand-up comedy, Mulaney says it became “enormous” and has continued to grow. He adds, “I think the respect and esteem comes from all the people that come out to see it. Netflix has elevated it too. People check out tons of specials now: ‘Oh, I saw Beth Stelling’s. I saw Nate Bargatze’s, I saw the new Ali Wong.’”
Celebrity Sobriety Journeys
Addiction is tough for anyone to overcome. With celebrities being in the spotlight and receiving criticism on a constant basis, sobriety is even harder to manage. The entertainment industry is well-known for exposing celebrities to drugs and alcohol. Some celebrities have experienced highly publicized setbacks, like Ben Affleck and Demi Lovato. Others struggled with their substance abuse in secret, like Drew Barrymore and Jamie Lee Curtis. However, the two have successfully completed treatment programs and are currently doing much better.
The Celebrity Sobriety Journey
Sobriety is more than giving up drugs and alcohol. It is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to a substance-free life, which can be difficult at times. The most difficult step is often recognizing and admitting that you have a problem with drug or alcohol misuse. Sobriety is a lifelong journey filled with challenges and obstacles but also incredible rewards.
Per a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, individuals with extensive substance use histories can and do recover to become productive members of society. Long-term recovery is maintained with social support and affiliation with 12-step groups. Among recovering substance users, “hitting bottom” is often cited as the turning point and the beginning of their recovery. Hitting bottom is the realization of how much has been lost to substance abuse (home, health, friends, self-respect, jobs) and life itself unless a drastic change is made.
![Noelle Bush Staying At Drug Center, Celebrity Sobriety Journeys](https://daveandchuckthefreak.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/GettyImages-1379023.jpg)
(Photo by Chris Livingston/Getty Images)
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, reach out to SAMHSA’s National Helpline. It is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message to 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you.
Keep scrolling to find out more about these celebrity sobriety journeys:
Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.