On October 28, 2023, Matthew Perry passed away at his home in Las Angeles. This shocking news spread like wildfire and from it came an outpouring of love from fans, fellow actors, and friends. With this article, I want to honor Matthew Perry.
My mom and I watched Friends together. She showed it to me for the first time and it was something we bonded over. Since I first watched Rachel run into Central Perk in a wedding gown I was hooked and Friends became a comfort show. I think I’ve seen the show, at this point, at least four times all the way through and I constantly go back to watch episodes. Perry brought so much joy and comedy to Chandler. It made him one of the most recognizable characters in sitcom history.
Friends broke many barriers on television specifically with the ways it discussed pregnancy. As Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe all had different experiences with pregnancy, it normalized things that traditionally had not been discussed in sitcoms and it did it with humor.
Off-screen the actors also broke barriers. By their last season, the friends had renegotiated their contracts so that they were all equally paid, a rarity in television at the time and still a rarity today.
After Friends, Perry went on to star in multiple movies such as Fools Rush In, 17 Again, and The Whole Nine Yards. As Perry later discussed in his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, the end of Friends was a dark time for Perry as he was struggling with addiction. Perry took this struggle and found ways to not only help himself but to help others. He founded the Matthew Perry Foundation which is dedicated to helping others who struggle with the disease of addiction. That is what he is quoted on the foundation’s website to be remembered for. Someone who wanted to help others on and off-screen.
Chandler brought laughter to so many and Matthew Perry continued to bring hope and joy with his foundation. He will forever live on in his work on screen as an actor and in his off-screen dedication to helping people. And I know he will always be there for me when I watch Friends.