Matthew Perry is “excited” about moving forward with his life, according to a former “Friends” colleague.
Executive producer Kevin Bright gave a positive update on Perry’s health after reconnecting with the actor during the classic sitcom’s HBO Max reunion special.
RELATED: ‘Friends’ Writers Reveal How Matthew Perry Convinced Julia Roberts To Guest Star
“I talked to him. It was great seeing him again,” Bright said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“And what people say is what people say. I don’t have any to say about that, except it was great to see him,” he continued. “And I think he’s very funny on the show. But yes, I think he’s OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward.”
In an appearance on THR‘s “TV’s Top 5” podcast, the director of the special, Ben Winston, also talked about Perry and some fans’ reactions to his appearance.
“He was great. People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren’t,” Winston said. “I loved working with him. He’s a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this.”
RELATED: Matthew Perry Drops New ‘Friends’ Merch Ahead Of Cast Reunion: ‘Could I BE More Me?
Perry joined Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, and Courteney Cox for “Friends: The Reunion” that was released on Thursday, May 27.
The “17 Again” star struggled with drug and alcohol abuse while filming the beloved series.
He checked into a 28-day rehabilitation program in 1997 for an addiction to Vicodin and returned to rehab in 2001.
Perry has battled addiction and depression in the past, admitting in a 2016 interview with BBC Radio 2 that he couldn’t even remember some of the seasons of “Friends” he was in.
RELATED: Matthew Perry Assures He Is ‘Back In Therapy’ After Being ‘Kicked Out’
“I was a little out of it at the time,” he confessed.
