Matthew Perry’s Final Gift: ‘Friends’ Scripts and Mementos Auctioned to Combat Addiction Stigma

Few sitcoms have made as significant an impact on popular culture as ‘Friends’, the beloved NBC comedy that aired for ten seasons and transformed six ensemble cast members into household names. For Matthew Perry, who portrayed the quick-witted Chandler Bing from 1994 to 2004, the show represented both a career high point and a backdrop to some of his most challenging personal battles. Nearly three years after his passing, a deeply meaningful collection of items from his estate is now providing fans with a poignant opportunity to connect with his legacy.

Perry was a staple on ‘Friends’ throughout its entire 10-season run, becoming one of television’s most recognizable comedic actors before his death on October 28, 2023, at his Los Angeles home at the age of 54. The medical examiner concluded that the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine were the primary cause of his death, and five individuals have since pleaded guilty to charges related to the investigation, including two doctors and an admitted drug dealer.

Items from Perry’s estate are now set to be auctioned in partnership with his non-profit foundation, which aims to diminish the stigma surrounding addiction. The charity auction will donate its net proceeds to advance what organizers describe as Perry’s most meaningful legacy: creating a future free from addiction stigma where everyone seeking recovery has access to the care, resources, and community they need to thrive. The live auction will take place online and in person in Dallas on June 5, hosted by Heritage Auctions, with items available for preview at the Beverly Hills showroom from May 18 to 29.

Among the standout items are 26 original scripts from the series, including episodes like “The One With Ross’s Tan,” “The One Where Joey Speaks French,” and the two-part finale, “The Last One.” Additional highlights include scripts signed by Perry and his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, generously donated by Warner Bros.

Also available are a personal photo album titled “The One With the Last Supper,” Perry’s replica of the show’s iconic yellow peephole frame from Monica’s apartment, and his 1995 SAG Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a television comedy series.

Beyond the Matthew Perry Foundation, additional beneficiaries of the auction include the Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Healing Appalachia—a recovery-focused sober music festival—and grassroots recovery grants for other frontline organizations.

Foundation CEO Lisa Kasteler Calio stated that Matthew believed addiction should be addressed with compassion and science, rather than stigma and silence, and that the auction supports the foundation’s mission to ensure no one has to fight this disease alone.

“Matthew believed addiction should be met with compassion and science, not stigma and silence. This auction fuels the foundation’s work to expand access to evidence-based care and confront stigma. It is one more way we ensure that no one has to fight this disease alone.”

The auction comes at a time when Perry’s former castmates have been reflecting on his talent with renewed appreciation. Speaking to The Times, Lisa Kudrow shared that after Perry’s passing, she rewatched ‘Friends’ and for the first time truly recognized just how exceptional it was. “Because there was a genius at work,” she remarked. “And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.”

For fans of ‘Friends’ and those affected by addiction, this auction represents far more than an opportunity to acquire a prop or a signed script. It serves as a tangible extension of a life that was both extraordinarily public and deeply private, shaped by laughter, struggle, and a lasting desire to help others find their way through.

Let us know in the comments what item from the Matthew Perry estate auction you would most want to own, and what his legacy means to you.