To our eternal friend, Matthew Perry
Whatever your age is, you’ve probably heard of the sitcom Friends (1994-2004), one of the greatest series ever produced. But our tribute is not to Friends, but to the man who was our best friend for almost 30 years: Matthew Perry.
Last Saturday night (28), we were taken by surprise with some of the saddest news of the year. Matthew Perry, 54, was found lifeless in the bathtub of his home, and that’s all the information we have so far.
It only took a tweet from TMZ about the information for millions of people to feel a tightness in their chest at the news, just like when we lose someone very dear to us, not least because Matthew was – very – dear to us.
Career
Unlike many people think, Friends was not the actor’s first job. He made his television debut in 1979 with the series 240-Robert, followed by several TV jobs, but none that gave Matthew the opportunity he needed to shine and make a name for himself.
He was in the movies even before he took part in the biggest sitcom in history. His first movie was A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988).
Friends
On September 22, 1994, the sitcom was released, the comfort show for thousands of people that became known as one of the best series ever produced.
For ten years, Matthew played Chandler Bing, the comic relief of Friends and perhaps the most human character in the series. His iconic phrases, his moments of personal growth and his love life were forever imprinted in the memory of fans, who will also never forget this loyal, sensible and caring friend. The character was that friend who wasn’t good at giving advice, but always had a sarcastic comment.
Chandler Bing or Chanandler Bong, husband of Monica (Courteney Cox) and friend of Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Ross (David Schwimmer) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), was also our best friend.
Much more than Friends
After the series ended in 2004, the actors went their separate ways in Hollywood, and Matthew was no different.
The actor, writer and comedian went on to film, now as a father in 17 Again (2009), in which we saw another side of Matthew, in what was one of his last memorable roles. Perry also appeared in an episode of Cougar Town (2009-2015) alongside Courteney, the first time the friends met on screen after the series ended.
His last role was in 2017, in the miniseries The Kennedys: After Camelot. But that wasn’t the last we saw of the actor.
The Reunion
In 2021, while we were still suffering from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the return of that comfort pleasure that, to be quite honest, we needed. A Friends special was released on HBO Max, featuring the entire cast of the series in their first and last recorded reunion.
The recording, which took place at Stage 24, the same location where the iconic series took place, brought reflections on the lives of the cast and their characters, as well as never-before-told stories and never-before-seen images.
In Friends: The Reunion, Matthew talked about how important it was for him to make people laugh: “It felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh. And that’s not healthy, for sure. But sometimes I’d say a line and nobody would laugh. Then I would sweat and go into internal convulsions because I hadn’t succeeded.”
At one moment, Courteney Cox said that the timing of the reunion was perfect, since we wouldn’t know what the next 20 years of the series’ anniversary would be like. Unfortunately, she was more right than she could have imagined.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir
In 2022, Matthew released Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, a book full of the actor’s memories and stories of overcoming.
For those who were more attuned to the news, especially at the time of Friends, the actor’s daily struggle was well known, as he never hid his drug addiction and depression, overcoming all taboos.
His illness was not a drama or a detail to be made up, it was there all the time in its exact measure, without sensationalism or condescension. Several times Matthew appeared different between seasons of Friends, both in terms of his weight and his appearance, which often veered between healthy and close to exhaustion.
Between relapses and an endearing willingness to talk about the problem at a time when little was said about it, his contribution helped and continues to help dismantle prejudices.
Matthew was certainly important in many ways, making us laugh, cry and become aware of trivialized issues.
Saying goodbye to someone is always very difficult, and we are never prepared for it. So instead of saying goodbye, Entretê will say: I’ll be there for you, ’cause you’re there for me too.
We’ll miss you Mathew! Follow Entretetizei on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more news.
*Featured photo credit: reproduction/People Magazine.