Everyone knew Matthew Perry’s story, brought to life on Netflix in The One About Matthew Perry, would bring tears to the eyes of Friends fans and anyone who ever loved the actor. Now, in an exclusive sneak peek, his sister, Mia Bowick, has revealed why Monica and Chandler’s wedding in The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding was especially bittersweet, knowing Perry always wanted a family and marriage of his own.

Matthew Perry’s sister offers a heartbreaking glimpse into the personal longing behind one of Friends’ happiest episodes, revealing the painful contrast between Chandler Bing’s dream wedding and the future her brother never got to experience.

For millions of Friends fans, Chandler Bing and Monica Geller’s wedding was a moment of pure happiness. But for Matthew Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, the beloved episode holds a heartbreaking significance. Speaking to PEOPLE, she reveals that her late brother had recently left rehab when he filmed the season seven wedding, making the on-screen celebration painfully personal.

“Watching that wedding, we all knew he wanted that in life. He wanted a partner, he wanted kids,”

Behind Chandler Bing’s big day was a reality that Matthew Perry’s loved ones could not ignore. Mia Perry Bowick tells PEOPLE that her brother’s drinking problem had worsened between seasons five and seven, leaving the family deeply concerned about his future. While viewers watched Chandler find his happily ever after, Perry’s loved ones were left wondering what life had in store for him.

Marriage and fatherhood were dreams Matthew Perry openly cherished, but his personal struggles made lasting relationships difficult. In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor admitted that his fear of intimacy and rejection sometimes led him to push romantic partners away. He also battled loneliness and trust issues, leaving the family life he dreamed of painfully out of reach and turning his sister’s PEOPLE revelation into an even more bittersweet reminder of the memories he left behind.

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As The One About Matthew Perry prepares to tug at heartstrings, his sister’s revelation offers another reason to revisit how close Matthew Perry once came to fulfilling his dream of marriage.

Matthew Perry once came remarkably close to proposing to actress Lizzy Caplan, whom he dated for six years between 2006 and 2012. In his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the late actor revealed that he had spent $10,000 arranging a romantic surprise, complete with a commissioned painting of the couple and a private movie theatre screening.

Yet, when the moment arrived, Perry could not bring himself to ask Caplan to marry him. His anxiety took over, and he retreated into humor rather than allowing himself to be vulnerable, later regretting the missed opportunity. Although Perry eventually became engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz in 2020, their relationship ended in 2021, making his sister’s recent revelation about his longing for marriage during the filming of Friends all the more heartbreaking.

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What did you think of the behind-the-scenes insight Matthew Perry's sister brought to the wedding episode? Let us know in the comments!