Actor Matthew Perry hid personal tragedies behind his on-screen persona, but there were times when he had to relive them.
FRIENDS was a gift of the 90s era, a sitcom that would go on to define television comedy for decades. And Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing stood out from the rest of the characters due to his quirky humor.
Chandler was a character who often hid his true feelings of sadness and embarrassment under inappropriate jokes, a trait that would become his signature for the rest of the series. And more often than not, some of his tragedies were inspired by Perry’s life itself.
When Matthew Perry’s dating life seeped into FRIENDS
Fans of the popular sitcom are still reeling from the loss of Matthew Perry, who died last year. In the book Friends ’til the End: The Official Celebration of All Ten Years by David Wild, the cast and the crew shared several sweet and not-so-sweet memories of their time on the show.
Perry recalled in the book:
They [directors] discovered who we were and what our lives were about. They said, ‘Tell us something interesting about you, so maybe we can incorporate it into the show. I remember I wasn’t doing very well dating at the time.
I’m not an ugly man, but I don’t do very well with women. I had just been on a date the previous night. I got home, I called my friend and he said, ‘How did the date go?’ And I said, ‘I’m going to die alone!’ So then four episodes into ‘Friends,’ Chandler said that, and then we just kept going that way.
The “I’m going to die alone!” scene has become one of the most fan-favorite rewatches of the show. And Perry’s performance, even as he relived a personal trauma, is remarkable; it proved his mettle as an actor of high caliber.
Tom Selleck called Matthew Perry the best among FRIENDS cast
Matthew Perry’s performance enamored a lot of his peers. Even those who weren’t series regulars, like Tom Selleck who played Richard Burke, were all high praise for The Odd Couple star. During an interview, Selleck praised Perry’s raw talent, remarking:
[Perry] walked onto the set, and that brought the house down. He was raw talent. Matthew’s gone, so it’s easy to say this, but it’s true. I think he was the most talented of a very talented group of people.
The untimely passing of Matthew Perry deeply saddened the online community, as he was a cherished member of the iconic sitcom, FRIENDS. His portrayal of Chandler Bing was a fundamental reason for the show’s beloved status, filling the viewers with joy who cherished his character dearly.
