Friends costars decline Matt Perry documentary

Matthew Perry's Friends costars have declined to appear in a new documentary covering the life and death of the star.

Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy is directed and executive-produced by Robert Palumbo and premieres in the US this week.

"I don't think it's too soon. I think the impact of his death is fresh," he told The New York Post.

David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc aren't included on screen to give their perspectives, he continues, because "understandably, they were reluctant to go on a documentary about Matthew at this point. Maybe many years down the line. We understand their decision not to appear."

Perry died at age 54 at his Pacific Palisades home on 28 October 2023, due to acute effects of ketamine and accidental drowning.

The Friends actor had been candid about his struggles with addiction and substance abuse, which the documentary covers.

The show includes a sit-down interview with Morgan Fairchild, who played his character Chandler's mother on Friends.

The documentary also covers the five arrests that were made in Perry's death probe. Some of them are still awaiting trial, such as Dr Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, who has been dubbed the Ketamine Queen.

Both of them have pleaded not guilty and a joint trial will start on 4 March.