90s hit TV sitcom, FRIENDS, was probably the greatest career highlight of all the actors involved. While it may be perceived as good, late actor Matthew Perry did not feel the same. There’s no doubt that Perry took pride in his iconic character of Chandler Bing. However, he also sought other roles in the film industry.
Unfortunately, most directors could not seem to look past Perry’s FRIENDS character. Hence, finding work in the post-FRIENDS era was difficult for the Canadian actor. Fans may assume that the Friends cast might be up and ready if a reboot comes up. Surprisingly, that is not what Perry wanted to participate in, ever.
Matthew Perry refused any Friends reboot
As per a source by Cheatsheet, only the female cast, that is, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow agreed to a Friends reboot. However, Perry simply felt that the show ended on a great note, and remaking it would ruin its true essence. Talking to Variety, Perry stated,
“I have this recurring nightmare—I’m not kidding about this. When I’m asleep, I have this nightmare that we do Friends again and nobody cares.”
Apart from that, Matthew Perry, who died at 54 years old on 28th October 2023, also felt vulnerable about the audience’s reaction to a Friends reboot. He said,
“We do a whole series, we come back, and nobody cares about it. So if anybody asks me, I’m gonna say no.”
Therefore, it was plain ‘no’ for him. In addition, Perry also recalled how greatly the show concluded, with all the characters in their rightful endings. Hence, matching to that level of precision would be a tough challenge. In all, the actor acknowledged the effect of Friends on his successful career but looked forward to more as an actor.
Sadly, the last week of October was tragic for fans, and especially, for the Friends cast. Perry’s demise urged his co-actors, Matt LeBlanc and Courtney Cox to pen down heartfelt notes for the late star.
Matt LeBlanc and Courtney Cox remember Matthew Perry
Days after the actor’s demise, co-star and good friend Matt LeBlanc shared an intriguing post on Instagram that expressed his deep sorrow for Perry. Although to end it in Chandler-style, LeBlanc added a little humor to the note.
While saying goodbye and marking his time with Perry as one of the favorite times of his life, LeBlanc expressed his admiration for the actor’s talents and their friendship. LeBlanc wrote,
“I will always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you’re finally free. Much love. And I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Similarly, Cox also took to her Instagram to share a candid post for her buddy and co-star. She shed light on the numerous special moments the actress shared with him on-screen. The iconic pair of Monica and Chandler was most loved by fans. Furthermore, she revealed a tiny behind-the-scene scoop from the show. Cox wrote in the Instagram post,
“For now here’s one of my favorites. To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.”
She shared that Monica and Chandler were only supposed to have a fling, but given their audience’s grand reaction to the duo, the casting directors decided to move on with it till the end. And we are grateful!
