Matthew Perry reveals bitterness towards Keanu Reeves in new memoir

The Friends actor makes his negative feelings clear for the John Wick star in his new book
Matthew Perry‘s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is out on November 1
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Escher Walcott26 October 2022
The Weekender

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Matthew Perry isn’t a fan of Keanu Reeves, judging by the latest excerpts from his upcoming memoir.

Perry, 53, makes jabs at Reeves, 58, in his new book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing as he discusses his connection with late actor River Phoenix.

Despite both having been close friends with Phoenix, Perry makes clear his negative feelings for Reeves in his memoir.

In a passage obtained by Page Six, Perry wrote: “Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, but Keanu Reeves still walks among us?”

Perry met Phoenix on the set of his first movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon in 1988, where he played his best friend. The actors went on to become close pals.

Keanu Reeves
It is not known where Perry’s hatred for Reeves stems from
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Phoenix, who was best friends with Reeves, died aged 23 in 1993 of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood.

Perry was lavish in his praise of the late actor in his new book. “River was a beautiful man inside and out and too beautiful for this world, it turned out,” he wrote. “It always seems to be the really talented guys who go down.”

The Friends star recalled the moment he found about Phoenix’s death, saying: “I heard the screaming from my apartment; went back to bed; woke up to the news.”

Perry criticised Reeves again when writing about the passing of Chris Farley, who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at the age of 33.

Just before Farley’s death, Perry had signed on to star opposite the late SNL actor in the 1998 comedy Almost Heroes, and was in the middle of his own drug addiction battle.

Discussing how unfair it was to lose Farley, Perry wrote: “I punched a hole through Jennifer Aniston’s dressing room wall when I found out. Keanu Reeves walks among us.”

It is not known where Perry’s dislike for Reeves comes from and the pair have not worked together on any projects, according to IMDB.

Film fans have been left confused at the apparent feud between the two stars.

One person tweeted: “WTF is Matthew Perry’s beef with Keanu Reeves?”

Another said: “This is so strange, why does Matthew Perry hate Keanu Reeves so much?”

Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is released on November 1.

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