In recent years, Matthew Perry has faced a series of health battles that kept him mostly out of the limelight. Fans who remember him from his days on Friends were left startled when they saw Perry during a recent trip to Nike, where the normally clean-shaven actor sported some scruff and what some called a “rough” look.
Perry opened up about his health struggles in his tell-all memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. Much of it stemmed from his addiction; at one point, his colon burst from an opioid overdose and he fell into a coma for two weeks. In light of this troubled history, fans worry about his absence and new appearance.
Matthew Perry sports an all-new look stepping out of Nike
Matthew Perry leaves Nike store in brand-new outfit after ditching the one he arrived in https://t.co/vcjNnqnJCq pic.twitter.com/msZ2U22DFd
— Page Six (@PageSix) September 6, 2023
Last week, Perry was spotted stepping out of a Nike store looking very different – twice over, in fact. Originally, he was spotted inside the Los Angeles mall wearing a loose pair of blue sweatpants and a long-sleeved gray shirt, topped by a bright red baseball cap.
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Then, like a quick change at a magic show, Perry exited the Nike store with an all-new outfit from top to bottom, minus the hat and sneakers. He wore a dark blue T-shirt with the Nike logo visible near the collar, along with a matching pair of shorts.
Fans are divided on this recent candid appearance.
Perry’s appearance has caused an emotional debate
As the photos circulate online, viewers are divided. Perry is now 54, but the incident with his colon occurred when he was 49 and saw him spend five months in the hospital. Indeed, there is a slight gap in his work right around then when fans were left to wonder how Perry was doing.
With this context, fans had a broad range of reactions to seeing him – and looking so different – from relieved to concerned. One commenter likened his appearance to that of Jack Nicholson, who kept things very casual in a large shirt and pants in a recent candid appearance.
“I’ve been worried about him, as he practically disappeared,” another person, this time on TikTok, said, “Glad to see him out & about.”
Another believes, “He looks ill; his right hand appears to be alarmingly swollen, and his mouth is gaping in each of these pix.” Another agreed he was looking “rough.”