Matthew Perry's younger half-sister, American psychotherapist and writer Mia Perry Bowick, has published archival photographs with her brother taken during their childhood and youth on social media. The release of the photos coincided with the third anniversary of the actor's passing on October 28, 2023, and the premiere of the three-part documentary series «The One About Matthew Perry» on Netflix. Accompanying the pictures, Bowick wrote: «Matty, I love you and miss you every day». The published frames capture moments from their early years: in one, a young Mia poses next to a young Matthew, and in another, they are together at graduation. These frames became part of her first-ever on-camera interview dedicated to her brother, which she gave to ABC News.
«He was my person, and I was his»
In a conversation with ABC News journalists, Mia Perry Bowick spoke about the special bond that united her with her brother throughout his life. «We tried to take better care of each other in many ways. He was my person, and I was his», she shared. Bowick also emphasized that Matthew played a key role in shaping her personality and professional path. «Because of him, I became who I am today, the person I want to be, and I found the work to which I dedicated my life», she said in a comment for Netflix. According to her, the well-known Chandler Bing behind the scenes was just as charming as his on-screen persona: «Everyone has celebrities they love very much, and we ask our friends: „Do you think he's really that great in real life?“ And I want to tell everyone: yes, he was exactly like that».
The little sister on the set of «Friends»
Mia Perry Bowick recalled visiting the set of the comedy series «Friends» as a child and meeting her brother's castmates. «It was kind of like, „Oh, Matt's little sister is here.“ It was that typical little sister atmosphere. It was great, and they are all very generous people», she shared. According to her, the crew always welcomed her warmly, and these impressions stayed with her for life. Bowick separately mentioned meeting the show's actors at the memorial service after Matthew's death: «When they started arriving, I was amazed. It was incredible to see them and realize how deeply the cast loved him».
Documentary series and first on-camera interview
On the eve of the third anniversary of his death, Netflix released the three-part documentary «The One About Matthew Perry», featuring the actor's sister and close friends. For Mia Perry Bowick, this was her first-ever on-camera interview dedicated to her brother. She explained that she wanted to show Matthew not just as a Hollywood sitcom star or a person who suffered from addiction, but as a complete person with a wonderful heart and soul. The documentary project became one of the central events dedicated to the anniversary and attracted viewers who for over two decades had known Perry primarily through his role as Chandler Bing in «Friends».
Context: circumstances of passing and legal consequences
Matthew Langford Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. The cause of death was a ketamine overdose. As part of the investigation into the illegal supply of the drug, five people were sentenced, including the actor's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, intermediary Erik Fleming, and drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, who subsequently pleaded guilty to selling the drug that caused the actor's death. Matthew Perry's funeral took place on November 3, 2023, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. The publication of archival photographs and Mia Perry Bowick's interview became the family's personal contribution to remembering the actor and a reminder of who he was outside the cameras and public image.
