“It was an incredible time. We became the best of friends.”
“Yep. I’m going to cry now.”
Matthew Perry played many roles in many film and television series. But it is the sitcom "Friends" for which he is and will always be remembered. As Chandler Bing, he zapped those stinging, witty, and sarcastic one-liners that kept "Friends’' audience of 50 million in stitches week in and out.
In the hilarious moments of the show, you could trust Perry’s Bing to have the last word (he also had that unscripted and memorable last word in the 2004 series finale).
Now, in the wake of Perry’s passing, that last line about crying is bittersweet and poignant. It was that last line that closed that emotionally charged "Friends Reunion" in 2021.
Looking back at his life and career, it is tragic because his latter life was of great concern to his true-life friends and family and to his fans. In his unusual death, one can only hold back those tears and shake their head.
Perry passed away Saturday, October 28, from an apparent drowning in his Jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. There was no evidence of foul play or drugs. Whether he fell asleep or not is for the coroner to decide.
But does it matter now?
On screen, the handsome and clean shaven Perry could be trusted to deliver some of "Friends’" funniest and memorable lines. He was unflappable.
And the cache of goodwill he earned from "Friends" made us watch him in the film "Fools Rush In" opposite Salma Hayek. Just as fans rooted for Perry’s Chandler to wed Monica Geller in "Friends," we rooted for him and Hayek’s character in "Fools Rush In."
Outside the sound stages and set locations, it was difficult to reconcile his off-set problems with news of his health concerns and substance addiction that stemmed from an off-set skiing accident.
Of the six Friends, it was Perry who showed chops beyond acting. He produced, directed, and wrote a lot of projects from the comedy-drama "Scrubs," "Showtime," "The Odd Couple," and more.
He received multiple nominations for his work in three episodes of Aaron Sorkin’s "The West Wing." Three episodes and an Emmy nomination in a popular political drama show with a high-powered and all-star cast. What does that tell you?
And he was no one trick pony. Perry was also nominated for a Golden Globe and Emmy for his titular performance in "The Ron Clark Story."
Along with "Friends" co-star Matt LeBlanc whose facial expressions were hilarious, Perry carried that over in the film "The Whole Nine Yards" where he starred with Bruce Willis.
His memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," was a bestseller on both Amazon and The New York Times.
That spells talent.
And yet, while most of his post-"Friends" work was unsuccessful, Perry was well-off financially owing to the cast’s salaries that eventually ballooned to US$1 million for Seasons 9 and 10. And even after the sitcom ended its decade-long run in 2004, it remains a popular favorite in syndication all over the world with the cast continuing to receive hefty royalties.
And no matter how many times we’ve seen the reruns, it makes us laugh. Again and again.
Like the passing of Robin Williams in 2014, Perry’s demise leaves us in tears of disbelief. It hits home because the men who made us laugh now make us cry.
We hope that in death, Matthew Perry finds his peace. Now, you will have to excuse me, because I want to watch some old reruns of "Friends." The smiling, funny, and loveable Chandler Bing (such as those unscripted moments when a cabinet bonked him on the head and how he flubbed his line live and the cast ran with it) is how I want to remember him.