Matthew Perry's drug dealer Erik Fleming once directed a film starring Scarlett Johansson | Hollywood

Erik Fleming, one of the five arrested in the drug overdose case of late Friends actor Matthew Perry, was once a filmmaker. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Erik, who served as a middleman in the ketamine plot that led to Matthew's death, even directed a film starring Scarlett Johansson in 1999. (Also read: Matthew Perry 'killed' by his assistant and doctors? 'That idiot…', disturbing texts and details emerge after arrest)

Who is Eric Fleming?

Erik directed the children's fantasy comedy “My Brother Pig” in 1999, starring Scarlett and Eva Mendes. In the same year, he directed the road movie “Tyrone,” starring Coolio and Kevin Connolly, who later broke out with his recurring role in the series “Entourage.” Erik was also a producer – he helped produce the first season of the reality show “The Surreal Life” (2003), which featured Cory Feldman, Gabrielle Carteris, Vince Neil and MC Hammer. He later founded the unsuccessful production company “Rich Hippie” with Sydney Holland.

Update on the Matthew Perry case

Five people have been charged in connection with Matthew's death, including his personal assistant and two doctors. The prosecution speaks of a “widely networked criminal underground network” whose goal was to provide the “Friends” star with the powerful anesthetic that killed him.

Doctors took advantage of Matthew's history of addiction in the final months of his life last year to administer ketamine to him in amounts they knew were dangerous, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in announcing the charges Thursday. “They knew what they were doing was wrong,” Estrada said. “They knew they were putting Mr. Perry in grave danger. But they did it anyway.”

Matthew died of a ketamine overdose in October of last year. Prosecutors said he received multiple injections the day of his death from his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who lived with him. Iwamasa found Perry dead later that day and was the first to speak to investigators.

Perry had been receiving regular infusions of ketamine for depression from his primary care doctors, who were not among the defendants – in amounts far from enough to explain his death, authorities said. When those doctors refused to give him more, he turned to others in desperation.