Matthew Perry says he was driven to success by primarily one thing: A craving to be famous.

“There was steam coming out of my ears, I wanted to be famous so badly,” Perry told The New York Times in Sunday’s editions. “You want the attention, you want the bucks, and you want the best seat in the restaurant. I didn’t think what the repercussions would be.”

Perry has a history of drug and alcohol abuse, but he does not blame his troubles on fame. He went into rehab in early 2001 while on the set of Serving Sara, which his theaters this week.

Perry says he hasn’t had a drink since his 2001 rehab stint.

“I didn’t get sober because I felt like it,” the Friends actor said. “I got sober because I was worried I was going to die next year.”

Besides the long-running Friends series, Perry has starred in The Whole Nine Yards, Three to Tango and Fools Rush In.