Matthew Perry: 'I've been to rehab too many times to run for office'

Matthew Perry has made multiple trips to Washington to lobby for drug court funding, but don’t expect him to become a permanent fixture in the halls of the Capitol.

“I think I’ve been to rehab too many times to run for office,” he told The Hill on Thursday, after testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.

He added: “I haven’t even thought about that, but I do jump at any opportunity to come here and talk about” drug courts.

The “Friends” star, known for his charm and sense of humor, warned lawmakers during his testimony: “I’ll try to be very likable and charming.”

He spoke for five minutes about drug courts, which handle cases for non-violent substance abuse offenders.

“Drug courts are the single most effective program for curing serious drug addicts for life-long recovery,” he said, pointing out that 75 percent of people who go through drug courts will not be arrested again.

After his testimony, he met with committee staffers and will spend the afternoon meeting one-on-one with various lawmakers.

For the past couple of years, Perry has made regular trips to Washington to testify about drug courts. 

He told The Hill that “any opportunity I get to talk about drug courts on a one-on-one level or a much bigger level — like testifying in that scary room — I grab at because it’s just one of the few things that’s a no-brainer: it saves lives, it saves money, it’s bipartisan.”

The actor, who has been to rehab a couple of times for prescription drug use, said he’s gotten a lot back from this line of work.

“My life has a lot more meaning now that I try to help people,” he said. “It’s also a selfish thing — it makes you feel better than anything else will.”

Photos: Greg Nash