You Probably Forgot Matthew Perry Was On Another Classic Sitcom Before Friends

Everyone knows Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom "Friends," but he was also briefly a part of the beloved classic "Growing Pains" for a three-episode arc in 1989. "Growing Pains" was yet another 1980s and 1990s family-oriented sitcom that explored — as the title indicates — the joys and pains of adolescence in a heartwarming yet comical manner. The three episodes Matthew Perry featured in — "In Carol We Trust," "Anniversary from Hell," and "Second Chance" — served as an after-school special to teach viewers about the risks of drunk driving. The episodes also featured a statistic on the deaths or accidents linked to alcohol United States.

Matthew Perry played Sandy, Carol Seaver's new boyfriend. After having a few beers on their date, Sandy ends up hitting a tree and is subsequently hospitalized and charged with drunk driving. During the scene where Carol visits him at the hospital, Perry showcases his signature performance style of characters who are sarcastic and brush aside a serious situation with humor. Carol remains a beacon of hope and positivity for him, telling Sandy that despite his injuries he has been granted a second chance at life. But this renewed possibility is cut short when Carol returns home and learns that Sandy died of an internal hemorrhage. It's a heavy episode that is made all the more poignant by Matthew Perry's presence.

Matthew Perry's brief stint on "Growing Pains" can be considered as part of his overarching mission to advocate for sobriety. In his memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," Matthew Perry was incredibly forthcoming about the darkest depths of his decades-long addictions to drugs and alcohol, as well as his tireless commitment to helping others with the same challenges. "The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, 'I can't stop drinking. Can you help me?' I can say, 'Yes,' and follow up and do it," he told "Q with Tom Power." He helped countless substance users by opening the rehabilitation center Perry House and lobbying Congress to fund drug courts, an alternative route to incarceration that provides incentive and support for recovery. 

In his performance as Sandy, who faces the dangerous consequences of alcohol use, Matthew Perry likely drew on his own experiences. Even if it is portrayed in a cheesy sitcom, Sandy's storyline is exactly the type of lesson Matthew Perry dedicated his life to imparting: addictions can rob you of everything — even your life — but a second chance for recovery is always there for you.