Bruce Willis is Immune to Addiction, Says FRIENDS Co-Star Matthew Perry: “He doesn’t have the gene”
The 1994 beloved sitcom, Friends featured several well-known people as special guest stars throughout its ten seasons. One of the most notable guest appearances was Bruce Willis’ three-episode story during Friends season 6. While his close friend, Matthew Perry, claimed that the actor’s Emmy-winning performance on Friends came about as a result of the Die Hard star losing a bet to the sitcom actor.
In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry, the Friends actor best known for his portrayal of the eponymous Chandler Bing, revealed several never-before-known facts about the 68-year-old retired American actor. He went in-depth about his struggle with addiction as well. Many critics have praised the biography for being frank, incredibly close-knit, and intensely personal.
Even though Willis was battling his alcohol and drug addictions at the time, Perry claimed that they grew closer while working together on the 2000 film The Whole Nine Yards.
Matthew Perry Wrote About How Bruce Willis Hosted All-night Parties
The two celebrities met in 2000 while working on the movie The Whole Nine Yards, and they often indulged in nonstop partying. However, Bruce Willis’ ability to know when to call it quits is a quality that Matthew Perry seemed to admire in his co-star and close friend. According to Perry, the Die Hard actor had an “on-off button.” The Friends alum described it as follows in his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing:
“There was a big difference between Bruce and me. Bruce was a partier; I was an addict. Bruce has an on-off button. He can party like crazy, then get a script like The Sixth Sense and stop the partying and nail the movie sober. He doesn’t have the gene—he’s not an addict.”
The actor also thought back on the times when he could truly appreciate Willis for the person he was outside of the entertainment business. The 17 Again actor described in his memoir those times when, following the nonstop partying, the two actors would sit in the stillness and have sincere, profound, and heartfelt conversations with each other.
Regarding how he felt about Willis during their late-night conversations, Perry wrote the following to further demonstrate his admiration for the incredibly genuine talent:
“That’s when I saw the real Bruce Willis. A good-hearted man, a caring man, selfless. A wonderful parent. And a wonderful actor. And most importantly, a good guy.”
It is clear from this that the Friends actor wrote about his old friend with a lot of praise and goodwill.
He Prays for Bruce Willis After His Aphasia Diagnosis
The world had to adjust to some extremely depressing news about the degrading health retired American actor, who has appeared in over a hundred films. Following his aphasia diagnosis, Bruce Willis retired from acting, as his family announced on Instagram. Aphasia significantly impairs a person’s capacity for communication. It may affect a person’s capacity for oral and written language use, comprehension, and communication.
Following the unfortunate revelation that became public earlier this year, Matthew Perry stated in his autobiography that despite having lost contact with the former Die Hard actor, he continues to keep him in his prayers. It was written as follows:
“…But as is the way with so many of these things, our paths rarely crossed after that. I, of course, pray for him every night now.”
When the news first surfaced, Perry was one of many who sent Willis his condolences and well wishes. One can only hope and pray that the two friends will be able to reunite and have some late-night conversations in the future to bring back the good old days.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing was released on November 1st, 2022.
Source- Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing; Insider
