Personal items from the late “Friends” star Matthew Perry are going to auction, with the proceeds benefitting the namesake nonprofit foundation his family established after his death from complications of addiction in 2023.
The Matthew Perry Foundation aims to help people struggling with substance use, with a focus on erasing the stigma that often prevents them from seeking help. Those close to Perry are honoring his oft-stated wish to be remembered more for his desire and ability to help people recover than for his star turn on the beloved sitcom. Their blueprint is Perry’s searing 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” in which he unsparingly chronicled his own journey.
“Matthew believed addiction should be met with compassion and science, not stigma and silence,” foundation CEO Lisa Kasteler Calio said in a statement from Heritage Auctions, which is holding the sale. “This auction fuels the foundation’s work to expand access to evidence-based care and confront stigma. It is one more way we ensure that no one has to fight this disease alone.”
The mix of personal items and passions offers fans “a meaningful way to connect with his story,” Heritage Auctions executive vice president Joe Maddalena said. “More importantly, it allows that connection to do real good, supporting the Matthew Perry Foundation and continuing his mission to help others facing addiction. It’s a powerful way for his legacy to live on and bring people together in support of something that mattered deeply to him.”
Proxy bidding opened on Tuesday, and the auction itself will be held in Beverly Hills on June 5, Heritage Auctions said. “Friends” memorabilia and numerous pieces of art Perry owned are on offer, ranging from a $400,000 Banksy to the “Mattman” 3D framed portrait presented to him on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2016, the latter donated by Warner Bros. The studio also contributed a “Six of One” —the original working title of “Friends” — pilot script signed by the cast; a signed script for “The Last One, Part I,” the first part of the two-part finale of “Friends”; and two tickets to the 2027 “The Batman Part II” premiere starring Robert Pattinson.
A number of cast-signed scripts are being auctioned, including a collection of 26 from Season 10; a photo album titled “The One With the Last Supper,” complete with a handwritten letter signed “Jenny” tucked inside; and even his 1995 Screen Actors Guild award for “Friends.” A personally owned replica of the yellow frame that surrounded the peephole in Monica Geller’s (Courteney Cox) apartment door is also in the mix.
While many items are priced as low as $100, a 30th anniversary auction of memorabilia from the “Friends” set in 2024 brought many times the initial bidding price.
The 54-year-old actor was found dead of apparent drowning in his hot tub on Oct. 28, 2023. His death was later ruled primarily due to a ketamine overdose, with drowning and other health conditions contributing. Five people were charged in his death and have taken plea deals.