Matthew Perry will be remembered primarily for his wit and charm, but he had much more to offer.
The pilot script of “Friends” caused quite a stir among agencies, with both well-known and fresh young actors vying for the roles.
There was interest and momentum for Craig Bierko to play the role of Chandler Bing, and until Craig said he wasn’t interested, Matthew stayed in the background because he didn’t want to compete with his friend. Who says show business needs to have its throat cut?
When we saw and heard Matthew’s audition, we knew our prayers had been answered. The role that we had a lot of trouble with throughout the casting process was now cast. Or was it? We couldn’t put Matthew in the top spot because he had done a sci-fi pilot for Fox called LAX 2194 about baggage handlers in the future. Would we bet against it? We would, and we did.
The “Friends” pilot, which tested “severely weak,” would prove to be a success as the first season progressed. Week after week, Matthew showed how talented he was as a comedian. Throughout their process, as each scene was scrutinized by the writers, producers and director, they always benefited from Matthew’s input and instincts.
In its second season, “Friends” premiered on NBC on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. and remained there throughout its network run. A crisis occurred at the Fall Upfront promotional presentation in May 1996, with $2 billion spent on the event. The presentation was interrupted due to a power outage. Eventually we learned that a curling iron had overheated and shorted out most of our power. I panicked. But then Matthew left the backstage area with that incredibly great smile, accompanied by his then quite famous wit and charm, and entertained the audience. He winked at me and gave me a look to say, “I have that boss.” Forget our new fall programs, that was the most memorable and entertaining part of the presentation. No one asked Matthew to do this job – he just saw what was happening and jumped on board. That was Matthew.
But the great success brought complications for Matthew. It was clear quite early in the series’ life that he needed help and he checked himself into rehab. There were many programs to choose from, but Matthew chose a particularly challenging program in a distant city, one that didn’t focus on being rich or famous.
The choice was surprising, but he believed that he had to do hard work. From his book and his openness to talk about it, we know that the next decades of his life would include many visits to rehab. He wasn’t ashamed of that. It was what it was.
Matthew’s post-Friends career included a memorable role in The West Wing and the lead role in Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. In each of them he displayed his famous repartee and repartee, but also revealed the rich texture and complexity of his dramatic abilities. There was so much in his tank.
For me, like so many millions of people around the world, the joy of “Friends” lies in watching it over and over again, like a therapeutic balm at the end of a long day. Seeing the bond of this family and feeling the love they convey will always be there for all of us.
We can only guess what the next chapters of Matthew’s life and career would have been like, but we know that honesty and giving back would have played a prominent role.
We celebrate you, Matthew, and we miss you.
Emmy-winning producer Warren Littlefield (“Fargo,” “The Handmaid’s Tale”) greenlit “Friends” during his tenure as president of NBC Entertainment from 1990 to 1998.