The unprecedented passing of actor Matthew Perry aged 54 has sent shockwaves across the world. His legacy will forever be rooted in his portrayal of the beloved Chandler Bing in hit 2000s TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S, with his timeless one liners that were relatable to us all. Friends has always been a mood-boosting comfort show that I rewatch time and time again and Perry’s eccentric acting played a big part in that.
My top 3 Chandler Bing moments
Chandler’s encounter with Victoria Secret model Jill Goodacre whilst being stuck in a bank in Season 1’s The One with the Blackout was a personal favourite. Perry’s internal monologue stole the show in this scene, especially when he said: “Hey Jill, I saw you with some guy last night, yes he was some guy” whilst he awkwardly shimmied towards her after she called him ‘some guy’ on the phone, before he shyly turned away in embarrassment. Chandler’s nail bitingly awkward dance moves never failed to make me cackle! Perry’s physical comedy of later choking on the gum he had accepted from Jill still stays glued to my brain to this day. Perry perfectly captured the relatable and entertaining scenario of trying to act ‘cool’ in front of a crush.
I always found Chandler and Joey the best double act in the show, with their chair fight scene in Season 3’s The one where no one’s ready, so outrageously brilliant. When Joey proceeded to wear all the clothes Chandler owned after he was convinced Chandler had stolen all his underwear, Chandler’s disgusted expression when Joey later claimed he was ‘commando’ while lunging in his clothes sent me into tears. Chandler’s later whip-smart response to Ross’ outburst over their fight of “geez what a baby” proved Perry’s natural talent for always getting the last laugh through his endless sarcasm.
Finally, it must be remembered that Chandler had the FINAL line in the FINAL scene of Season 10! This was when the gang agreed to get coffee after leaving all their keys for Monica (and later Chandler’s) iconic apartment, and Chandler simply responded: “Sure. Where?”. This showcased Perry’s multi-talented ability to deliver light and shade in Chandler’s portrayal and provide this blockbuster of a show the heartwarming ending it deserved. Ah, I’m reaching for the tissues writing this!
Perry’s battle during and after F.R.I.E.N.D.S
While the show was a time of great warmth for its audience, it was one of trauma for Perry, as he battled with drug addiction and alcoholism throughout the decade-long show. His response in a 2017 interview of “When I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills; when I have a goatee, it’s a lot of pills.”. The extremity of Perry’s addiction throughout the show was particularly shocking to hear but brave of him, to talk about this difficult time. Perry went on to play a transformative role in helping other people battling addiction, particularly in his 2013 founding of the ‘Perry House’ in Malibu which has since rehabilitated countless people to sobriety.
Perry’s memoir
His memoir ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing’ captured a raw account of Perry’s life before, during and after his shot to fame. While his in-depth conversations around his addiction were eye-opening, I thought his reference of “It wasn’t that I thought I could play Chandler; I was Chandler” made me fall in love with the character even more. An actor who can bring their humanity and experiences into a role makes them even more ground breaking in my books.
Goodbye but never goodnight
Matthew Perry’s legacy stretched far beyond his brilliant acting portrayal of Chandler Bing, dedicating the rest of his later life to help others escape the destructive lifestyle of addiction. For me though, Perry’s talent as Chandler perfectly captured the joy of my generation and the generations before and to come, of the brilliance of Bing! Goodbye, Matthew Perry but never goodnight…