FRIENDS Fame Matthew Perry discloses Why He Broke Up With the ‘Beautiful, Brilliant’ Julia Roberts

As known, Matthew Perry and Julia Roberts became friends before Roberts’ guest appearance on Season 2 of F.R.I.E.N..D.S. The duo then went on to date for six months before breaking up in April 1996. In an excerpt from his new memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he revealed he broke up with the ‘beautiful and brilliant’ Roberts due to his battles with addiction and not feeling ‘enough’ for her.

According to the excerpts published by the Times, the actor said, “Dating Julia Roberts had been too much for me. I had been constantly certain that she was going to break up with me. Why would she not? I was not enough; I could never be enough; I was broken, bent, unloveable. So instead of facing the inevitable agony of losing her, I broke up with the beautiful and brilliant Julia Roberts. She might have considered herself slumming it with a TV guy, and the TV guy was now breaking up with her. I can’t begin to describe the look of confusion on her face.”

He further announced how Julia Roberts decided to play a cameo in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. He disclosed, “Julia had been offered the post-Super Bowl episode in season 2, and she would only do the show if she could be in my storyline. Let me say that again — she would only do the show if she could be in my storyline. (Was I having a good year or what?) But first, I had to woo her.” She replied that if I adequately explained quantum physics to her, she’d agree to be on the show. Wow. First of all, I’m in an exchange with the woman for whom lipstick was invented, and now I have to hit the books. The following day, I sent her a paper all about wave-particle duality and the uncertainty principle and entanglement, and only some of it was metaphorical. Not only did Julia agree to do the show, but she also sent me a gift: bagels — lots and lots of bagels. Sure, why not? It was Julia f—ing Roberts.”

Notably, Friends became known for its guest stars early on, with season 1 bringing on the likes of Jennifer Grey and George Clooney.

It proceeded to attract mega-stars throughout its run, with everyone from Robin Williams to Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, Winona Ryder, Selma Blair, Jeff Goldblum, Danny DeVito, and Brad Pitt showing up, in addition to many other high-caliber talents. Former Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck was one of a few celebrity guest stars that went on to enjoy a longer story arc, with Selleck playing Monica’s boyfriend.