“Hi, I'm Chandler, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable.”
For many people, including myself, Matthew Perry was more than just an actor. He’s been a source of laughter, comfort, and entertainment for decades of our lives. I remember when I first watched Friends. I was living in Chicago then, and my friend Tracy was late coming over one night because she was watching Friends. She said, “You have to watch; it’s so funny.” And that was it. I checked it out and then watched weekly for the next ten years.
Chandler and Joey were my favorite characters. The dynamic they had was the best part of the show. They were my friends, my buds. I think we feel like we “know” TV actors more than movie actors because we let them into our homes every single week. We hang out with them no matter what we’re doing or how we’re feeling. We watch when we’re in our pajamas, when we’re eating. We let them see us when we’re happy, sad, and sick. And I know actors aren’t the characters they play, but Matthew Perry improvised a lot of Chandler Bing, and a lot of that character was based on Matthew’s own life. So in a way, we did know Matthew Perry. Or at least one side of him.
I listened to his memoir this past year and I remember thinking he didn’t seem well enough to be writing it. Not that people with addictions can ever truly be cured or healed, but he still seemed to be in the midst of his struggle. He was bitter and angry about a lot of his life, and I thought he could’ve benefitted from waiting a couple of years to write it. But now I’m so happy he did, so happy he got to tell his own story before leaving this earth.
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