Like many people, I was gutted when I heard about actor Matthew Perry’s death on Saturday night. Of all my parasocial relationships, this was one of the longest and deepest. I loved him from the first time I watched the TV show Friends. I can repeat some of his quips from that show note for note. He was even one of my first “hall passes.”
Then, as the years went on, I pulled for him in his recovery, admiring his openness about his struggle and his commitment to helping others.
During my obsessive reading of news updates and tributes this weekend, I came across this quote from his 2022 autobiography Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.