Matthew Perry helped ‘Friends’ co-star get sober | Matthew Perry (54) passed away

“We met forty years ago and he was, by far, the funniest friend I ever had,” Azaria wrote. “He was also the one who helped me get sober.”

Perry himself had addiction problems for years and took Azaria to his first meeting for people with alcohol addiction in 2005. “I didn’t have to go to rehab, but I knew I had a serious problem. I called Matthew and asked him to take me to a meeting.”

Perry played the role of Chandler in the popular series ‘Friends’, Azaria appeared for a number of episodes as David, the boyfriend of main character Phoebe. When Perry died last month, he had been sober for several years. He opened a clinic to help people with addiction problems. “I loved Matthew. And he was very helpful to me in the beginning of my sobriety,” Azaria writes.

Azaria has a message for people who are currently kicking addiction. “You’re going to find your own Matthew Perry. You will find someone you can laugh with and feel connected to,” Azaria writes. “You will find someone who cares more about you than about themselves. I think Matthew would want people to know that.”