Matthew Perry: Why this death affects us so much

Opinion

Matthew Perry wanted to be remembered for more than just his role on Friends, although he was always appreciative when it came to the hit series. Especially as a fan, you want to fulfill your wish. But after his untimely death, it’s hard to ignore how Perry played his way into the hearts of millions of fans.

Matthew Perry: Chandler Bing was the role of a lifetime

For ten seasons he played Chandler Bing in the sitcom – this sarcastic, lanky guy with his typical vests who was always on the lookout. In search of family harmony and the right life partner, which he finally found in his good friend Monica Geller. Looking for a cigarette he could smoke secretly. And looking for the next good joke, which he was happy to crack, even at the expense of his friends and himself. Social media is full of compilations of his best jokes these days.

Perry filled the role with so much life and so much of himself. It is well known that he improvised many of Chandler’s jokes and sayings. “I was sure I wouldn’t just be able to play Chandler, I was Chandler,” he wrote in his autobiography, published last year. Today, “Friends” is viewed critically by the younger generation. Too little diversity, some politically incorrect jokes. That’s okay, every generation has its favorites after all. For many millennials, the sitcom about six friends in New York is sacred and will remain so.

We fans will probably never stop tuning in at some random point in the ten seasons, only to realize hours later that we’ve lost almost an entire day to a “Friends” marathon. “Friends” will continue to brighten up the dark hours in life. Distract, cheer up and spread nostalgia.

“Friends” is and remains special

In his book, Perry also attributed the specialness of “Friends” to the bond between him and his co-stars. The six got along, ate every lunch together at the beginning of filming and, after the first successful seasons, negotiated their million-dollar salary side by side – without outdoing each other. As a fan, you could tell. It’s often wishful thinking that stars get along as well behind the scenes as they do in front of the camera. That was exactly the case with “Friends”. “We are a family,” said David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) himself at the 2021 reunion.

The great fortune of “Friends” is that all six of the ten equally high-quality seasons remained on board. There is also the topic of the sitcom. What more universal experience than friendship? Cohesion in difficult and good times, love, disappointment, death and humor. All of these topics found their place. The show’s writers managed to never make the stars sound pathetic or trite.

He died alone

Precisely because “Friends” means so much to so many people, Perry’s early death is so incredibly sad. Of all people, he, who was part of a show about friendship, died alone in the hot tub of his Los Angeles property. In the second season, Chandler discovers creepy parallels to himself in the apartment of his deceased neighbor Mr. Heckles. Just like him, the strange Heckles broke up with women based on unimportant details, meticulously written down in the photos of the respective women. “That’s me, that’s exactly what I’m doing! I’m going to end up alone, just like him!” Chandler says to Joey in shock in the scene.

Perry may have been alone when he died. He described himself as a loner, a Batman, isolated from the outside world. And yet he touched millions of people for over three decades. He was a friend to all of us. His honest and unsparing confrontation with his alcohol addiction has helped those affected and will continue to do so. His words will remain. His sense of humor will remain. And yes, Chandler Bing in particular will stay.

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