***** CONTENT WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS REFERENCES TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION-RELATED ISSUES *****
Matthew Perry is dead at the age of 54. A five-time Emmy nominee, Perry starred in films like The Whole Nine Yards and 17 Again, as well as series such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Mr. Sunshine. He also made several notable guest appearances on dramas like The West Wing and The Good Wife. But he will always be best remembered for his iconic performance as Chandler Bing on Friends. 1
Matthew Langford Perry was born on August 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, to Canadian journalist (and Pierre Trudeau press secretary) Suzanne Marie Morrison and American actor John Bennett Perry (fun fact: the elder Perry appeared as Joshua’s dad on the Friends episode “The One with Rachel’s New Dress”). His parents divorced before his first birthday and he was raised primarily by his mother, who remarried in 1981 (his stepdad is journalist and Dateline NBC correspondent Keith Morrison). Perry attended Rockcliffe Park Public School alongside future Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. At the age of 14, he began consuming alcohol; he was drinking alcohol daily by the time he was 18.
At the age of fifteen, Perry moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles to live with his father and pursue an acting career. He graduated from the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks in 1987 and almost immediately got his first starring role, in the FOX sitcom Second Chance. The following year, Perry made his film debut in the River Phoenix-led A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. More TV work followed, including a three episode arc on Growing Pains, the Valerie Bertinelli sitcom Sydney, and a guest spot on Beverly Hills, 90120.
Perry’s biggest break came in 1994 when he was cast as Chandler Bing in a pilot called Six of One (later renamed Friends). But he almost missed out on the series that would make him a household name. Perry was committed to another pilot, LAX 2194, about baggage handlers at LAX in the year 2194 (no, I’m not making that up). Fortunately – and not terribly surprisingly – that pilot didn’t get picked up, leaving Perry available for Friends. The rest, as they say, is history.
Over the next ten years, Perry and his castmates became superstars and millionaires. It’s impossible to overstate how completely Friends dominated the pop culture landscape in the mid-1990s. In this era of endless streaming options, a network series rarely makes that kind of impact anymore. Amongst the six main characters, Chandler was absolutely my favorite. Smart, sarcastic and self-deprecating, Chandler hated his job and was unlucky in love (that is, until the end of season four, when he figured out that the love of his life lived right across the hall). In front of the camera, Perry often provided the comic relief, but behind the scenes, he was battling several addictions. In 1997, he became addicted to Vicodin after a jet ski accident (he lost a ton of weight during this time, which was evident during season three of Friends). In 2000, Perry was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for alcohol-induced pancreatitis. In early 2001, he entered rehab for multiple addictions, including alcohol and amphetamines. Perry has admitted that he doesn’t remember much about the filming of seasons three through six
After ten seasons and 236 episodes, Friends went off the air in 2004. Perry continued to act in films and television, and continued to battle his demons. In 2018, he was given a 2% chance of survival after his colon burst due to his opioid use. More recently, while taking Oxycontin and ketamine, Perry was given propofol for a surgery and his heart stopped beating for five minutes. The CPR done to revive his heart broke eight of his ribs.
On October 28, Perry was found unresponsive in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home. No cause of death has been established; autopsy results could take months. Police found no proof of drug use at the scene, but there’s little doubt his decades of substance abuse could have contributed to his death. Perry once estimated that his addiction cost him roughly $9 million, including fourteen stomach surgeries and fifteen rehab stays. And in the end, it may have cost him his life.
In the end, we’ll always have our favorite Friend. In Perry’s memory, here is a selection of my favorite Chandler-centric Friends episodes.
- “The One with the Blackout”
The lights go out in NYC and five of the six friends spend the blackout together in Monica’s apartment. Chandler, on the other hand, is trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre. The encounter begins awkwardly, as is typical for Chandler, but things get a lot more intimate after Jill (credited as Jill Connick) administers the Heimlich maneuver on a choking Chandler. They part ways sweetly, with a kiss on the cheek, after which Chandler hilariously requests “a copy of the tape” from the bank.
- “The One with the Candy Hearts”
Chandler once again finds himself linked to Janice, his ex- and future-girlfriend, this time through an inadvertent blind date. When Joey and Janice’s friend Lorraine leave to go lick chocolate mousse off each other, Joey leaves behind his credit card (this is literally the only time Joey ever paid for anything). Chandler and Janice order a bottle of champagne each – and inevitably wind up in bed together. The series got a lot of mileage out of the Chandler & Janice relationship, and this episode is my favorite of the bunch.
- “The One Where Heckles Dies”
Perry got to show his sentimental side in this season two standout. Monica and Rachel’s annoying upstairs neighbor Mr. Heckles passes away unexpectedly. As the gang clears out Heckles’ apartment, Chandler is dismayed by the similarities between himself and the hermit-like Heckles. Worried he’ll die alone too, Chandler resorts to drastic (and hilarious) measures. But it’s the end – “Goodbye, Mr. Heckles. We’ll try to keep it down” – that tugs at your heartstrings.
- “The One After the Superbowl, Part 2”
In January of 1996, the cast of Friends were among the biggest stars on the planet and Perry was dating fellow A-lister Julia Roberts. Roberts was cast on the post-Super Bowl episode, the imaginatively titled “The One After the Superbowl”. Roberts plays Susie “Underpants” Moss, a former classmate of Chandler’s with a longstanding score to settle. More than 52 million people tuned in to “The One After the Superbowl”; it remains the highest rated Super Bowl lead-out of all time.
- “The One Where Eddie Won’t Go”
Joey has gotten a role on Days of Our Lives and with his newfound financial freedom, his own place. Chandler finds a roommate, Eddie (Adam Goldberg), who seems a little eccentric at first but ultimately reveals his true (cuckoo) nature. Chandler tries to kick Eddie out, but he proves difficult to get rid of. When Joey is written off Days of Our Lives, Chandler hatches a plan to bring Joey back and rid himself of Eddie once and for all.
Fun fact: Adam Goldberg isn’t the only Dazed and Confused star to guest on Friends. Nicky Katt appears on the season two episode “The One with the Bullies” and Marissa Ribisi plays one of Rachel’s friends in season three’s “The One with the Flashback”. Marissa’s twin Giovanni also had a pivotal role in the series, appearing in eight episodes as Phoebe’s brother Frank Jr.
- “The One Where No One’s Ready”
Friends took a cue from Seinfeld for this season three standout, with the episode playing out in real time as the gang gets ready for a museum benefit. The episode’s funniest subplot involves Chandler and Joey one-upping each other over a coveted chair cushion. Perry and Matt LeBlanc seized the opportunity to show off both their comedic skills and their sparking chemistry.
- “The One Where Chandler Can’t Remember Which Sister”
The occasion is Joey’s birthday and Chandler, still lamenting the end of his relationship with Janice, makes out with one of Joey’s seven sisters. To make matters worse, he can’t remember which sister. Chandler attempts to repair the situation without Joey finding out, but c’mon, this is a sitcom so of COURSE Joey is going to find out, and all the better for the audience.
- “The One with the ‘Cuffs”
Rarely do we get a Chandler-Rachel subplot, but when it happens, it’s pure gold. Perry and Jennifer Aniston bring out the best in each other; he also has a chance to show off his physical comedy chops. This episode also contains one of my favorite unscripted moments ever, as the cabinet drawer Chandler is handcuffed to hits his head; Perry and Aniston, like the professionals they are, stayed in character and the take made the final cut.
- “The One with Chandler in a Box”
Chandler has fallen in love with Joey’s new girlfriend Kathy (the lovely Paget Brewster) and vice versa; in the previous episode, “The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line”, the two shared a kiss. Joey forces Chandler to atone for his sin by spending Thanksgiving in a box. Perry manages to somehow be both funny and poignant using only his fingers, demonstrating his substantial gift for physical comedy.
- “The One with the Embryos”
Arguably the best episode of Friends, “The One with the Embryos” is a fantastic showcase for what makes the series so beloved – the chemistry amongst the cast. Everyone has the chance to shine here, as Phoebe embarks on her surrogate journey and the remainder of the gang participate in an increasingly hilarious quiz that will determine who gets the ladies’ apartment. The situation devolves into chaos before Phoebe delivers the happy news – she’s pregnant with Alice and Frank’s baby – and the fighting turns into a celebration.
- “The One with the All the Rugby”
Chandler, getting over his breakup with Kathy, runs into Janice and finally sees what his friends find so annoying about her. He never could break up with Janice, so to extricate himself, he tells her he’s being transferred to Yemen. After giving Janice a fake address (“15 Yemen Road, Yemen”), Chandler literally gets on a plane to the middle east and finally leaves Janice in his past (and in a matter of weeks, he’ll be off the market for good – see next entry).
- “The One with Ross’s Wedding, Part 2”
In the season four finale, the Friends writers threw us a doozy of a twist when, halfway through the episode, it’s revealed that Monica and Chandler spent the previous night together. We don’t see the lead-up until the season seven episode “The One with the Truth About London”, but frankly, we didn’t need to see it. The reveal led to some of the funniest episodes in the series’ history, as the pair attempted to hide their burgeoning relationship from the rest of the gang.
- “The One with All the Thanksgivings”
The Thanksgiving episodes are a favorite amongst Friends fans, and this season five standout is no exception. As the six share their worst Thanksgiving memories, we learn more about how Monica and Chandler first met – and Chandler finally learns the truth about how he lost his little toe.
Fun fact: “The One with All the Thanksgivings” earned costume designer Debra McGuire an Emmy for Oustanding Costume Design for a series.
- “The One with All the Resolutions”
The gang all make New Years resolutions – Monica is going to take more pictures of the group, Ross will try a new thing each day (including, hilariously, wearing leather pants), Joey will learn to play guitar so something on his resume is true – and Chandler vows to make fun of his friends less. By the end of the week (and the end of the episode), he’s already caved. Meanwhile, Rachel (whose resolution is, inconveniently, to gossip less) overhears a suggestive phone call between Monica and Chandler, setting the stage for the following entry.
- “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”
My personal favorite episode, “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” sees the remainder of the group learn about Monica and Chandler’s relationship in the most hilarious way possible. Still not ready to reveal the truth, Chandler pretends to be attracted to Phoebe, who is attempting to seduce him in order to get him to confess. Eventually, she breaks him and the episode ends on a tender note, with Chandler and Monica declaring their love for one another.
- “The One on the Last Night”
Chandler is moving in with Monica and doesn’t want to leave Joey in a financial jam, so he offers to give Joey money. When Joey refuses the offer, Chandler attempts to lose at foosball. When that fails, he goes about it another way, inventing a card game called “Cups” and “losing” all his money to his bestie, who chalks his windfall up to beginner’s luck.
- “The One with the Proposal”
Chandler, in an effort to throw Monica off his proposal trail, tries to convince her he never wants to get married (it works like a charm). Then, when he’s finally ready to pop the question, the pair runs into Monica’s ex, Richard (Tom Selleck). Richard confesses that he’s still in love with Monica, who now believes she’s in a dead-end relationship with Chandler. It all comes together in the end, and season six ends not with a cliffhanger, but with a proposal.
- “The One with the Halloween Party”
The only Friends Halloween episode, “The One with the Halloween Party” features some fantastic costumes (most memorably, Ross as “Spudnik” AKA “Space doody”). Monica picks out Chandler’s costume, selecting a pink bunny because Chandler loves The Velveteen Rabbit. Chandler points out that the velveteen rabbit was brown and
- “The One with the Mugging”
Season nine finds Chandler finally quitting his soul-sucking job in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration (whatever that means) and embarking on a new career in advertising. Feeling ancient next to his fellow interns, Chandler uses his age to his advantage and comes up with the best campaign slogan for this weird sneaker on fire/roller skate hybrid (“Not suitable for adults”).
- “The Last One”
Monica and Chandler have packed up the apartment for their move to the ‘burbs. Matthew Perry really wanted the final line in the series and the writers granted his wish. Rachel asks if they should go get coffee and Chandler, ever the smart ass, simply asks, “Where?” Just a perfect sendoff.
1Since I began working on this post, I watched a clip of Perry saying he hopes he is remembered not for Friends but for the help he gave others during their own addiction journeys. I also watched an interview with Perry’s good friend (and frequent Friends guest star) Hank Azaria, who described Perry as having helped him get sober. He was obviously well-loved by people on a personal level and I’m so impressed by his commitment to helping others. My heart goes out to his friends and family, who are mourning a deep personal loss. Peanut Butter and Julie is a pop culture blog and my emphasis will always lie there, but I also want to honor him as, by all accounts, a really great person who genuinely cared for and helped others in need.
A personal note
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