Some people are really fired up about recovery—Matthew Perry is one of them. After two now public stints in rehab for alcohol and prescription pill addiction, the former Friends star not only has several years of sobriety under his belt but his valiant efforts to give back to the recovery community are ongoing.
Perry Is a Real Friend
In addition to being an advocate for nonviolent drug offenders to receive treatment over jail, in 2013, Perry converted his home into a sober living facility for men (though I assume he moved out first). The aptly located Malibu property became The Perry House (go figure), lending its 5,500 square feet of luxury to those with the desire—and the means—to learn a new way of life.
But as they say, times can get hard on the boulevard—even for the ever-charming Chandler Bing. To bring down costs, Perry decided to trade-in his former home for a more budget-friendly locale. The cliffside estate, which was reportedly listed at $12.5 million but sold at $10.65 million, took a nearly $2 million dollar loss (see, I can kind of do math). Perry hopes to move the business to the more financially and physically accessible Santa Monica or (gulp) Studio City.
What’s His Motivation?
I think the question on everyone’s mind is: why would a successful, working (and frankly, rich as fuck) actor dedicate time, effort and finances to the addiction treatment business? Surely, it’s not for the money. While some rehabs can be lucrative, much like the restaurant business, there can be a lot of ups and downs—not to mention the liabilities and legal risks involved. We also know that The Odd Couple star doesn’t need the dough, especially if he is in a position to take a multi-million dollar hit and forge ahead with passionate recovery-filled gusto. So what is it?
This is the part of the recovery community that I just love. While it’s true there are many ways to skin a cat and possibly just many ways to get sober, the 12 steps ask sober alcoholics to make helping another addicts their primary purpose (after staying sober themselves, of course). This gesture has a number of different incarnations: sponsorship, taking outreach calls, speaking on panels and going into hospitals and jails to carry the message of hope. Like the old 12-step saying, “we can’t keep it [sobriety]unless we give it away [help others].” Lending an ear and sharing our personal experiences with those who are struggling not only (hopefully) helps them but it is also a reminder of when someone did the same for us.
Even Sober Celebrities Give It Away to Keep It
Service work is a huge part of the 12-step community and it is believed to be the lifeline of those in recovery. However, not all of us are able to give back as much as we’d like to and—I might be going out on a ledge here—I assume the grueling schedule of a high profile actor might make it tough to find free time. So perhaps The Perry House is more than a plush, high-end sober living for the one-percenters. Maybe it exists to serve a greater good, Perry’s desire to give back. Before you get all huffy about the exclusivity of this caliber of a facility, it might help to remember that the founder was at the height of primetime sitcom fame—making $1 million an episode—when he hit his bottom with addiction. Aren’t we all drawn to help those we can relate to?
Photo Courtesy of David Shankbone [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons (resized and cropped)
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