Matthew Perry is a human that is hard to describe. He’s an incredibly well-known actor, best recognized for his role as Chandler Bing on the iconic show “Friends.” His recent passing leaves fans to ponder over the legacy he left behind. Perry left an impact not just on a singular generation, but multiple: the adults who grew up watching friends, the teenagers of today, those of the future.
While “Friends” could be viewed as a problematic show if it aired today, it was one of the biggest hits from the 90s and really helped shape some of the culture and humor our generations have today. It’s the show where Perry was best recognized for his humor.
Matthew Perry created an iconic character in Chandler Bing, a humor-filled, socially-awkward man that many found to be relatable. The character Chandler rarely has a moment where he’s completely silent, filling quiet moments with jokes. Humor as a defense mechanism is hardly unheard of, but to fill silence with it was something that was rather new at the time. Chandler is also best known for his sarcasm and quick-witted one-liners. His sense of humor is slightly shocking, but also one of the most entertaining ones on the show. A lot of his humor has carried through to later sitcoms like “The Big Bang Theory” in the way the characters use emphasis in their own patterns of speech.
If you haven’t seen “Friends” before, there are plenty of ways to familiarize yourself with the show. Might as well begin by looking at the show’s best moments, or watch Matthew Perry’s best episodes on Max. Perry’s blazing humor brings a smile to the face of everyone who watches it.
It’s difficult to find the words to talk about such a legendary man, and it’s more difficult to believe he has actually passed. To me, Matthew Perry’s death carries a similar weight as Robin Williams’ passing in 2014.
People across the world were, and are, devastated at the loss of Matthew Perry. As someone born in the year 2000, my perspective on the show “Friends” is definitely different than my mother’s, who was born in 1973. There are a lot of things that nowadays could be viewed as highly problematic in the show (transphobic comments and Ross’ narcissistic personality are just to name a few), but overall, the show is highly lovable and relatable.
Matthew Perry brings his character to life by placing emphasis on certain words or syllables, which was something relatively new to television at the time. This bizarre trait that Matthew Perry gave to Chandler is one of the key features that makes Chandler Bing such a memorable character. That, and the character’s story.
Chandler has a wonderful arc built across all ten seasons, and he’s easily a fan favorite across all of them. With a rough childhood, Chandler does his best to cope with his life with his bizarre friends. His backstory is incredibly rough and traumatic, but he puts on a brave face despite all of that, and shapes himself into a jester. Ultimately, he’s searching for someone to love him for who he is, despite his past and flaws. In the show, we get to watch as he finds that in Monica (Courtney Cox).
Chandler and Monica’s relationship is one that is adored. Both are quirky characters, but their quirks compliment each other almost perfectly. When faced with the reality that their relationship is just on-screen, it’s hard to believe that Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox didn’t have something going on. Their chemistry in “Friends” is unreal.
The relationship between Chandler and Monica has become one strived after, seeing as they truly accept each other’s flaws and want nothing more than to love each other. They’re the ideal couple and Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox did a phenomenal job of bringing them to life.
Matthew Perry brings to life a character everyone can relate to – the awkward, needy side of people that we often don’t like to show, but can’t ever forget. His humor is witty, and a little bit twisted, but that’s what makes it so relatable. We all have darker sides of ourselves that we can’t seem to get rid of, and Matthew Perry demonstrates how to accept and live with those things through his portrayal of Chandler Bing. Life is made better with “Friends.”
Of course, he was so much more than our beloved Chandler Bing. Matthew Perry did a large amount of charity work, and after his passing, there was even a foundation named after him in his honor.
There’s so much to say about Matthew Perry and his works, his humor and his life that it’s incredibly difficult to just fit into one article. “Friends” is a show beloved by many and his passing is a harsh blow to struggle with, especially because he’d just begun his life of sobriety in the more recent years.
Matthew Perry was known to have struggled with addiction his entire life, and towards the end of his life, he wrote a book called, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.” In the book, he discusses his struggle with sobriety his entire life and how he’s been sober and what a struggle it’s been. His death was sudden and surprising to many.
Matthew Perry was a humanitarian at heart and his humor helped shape our very culture today. The loss of Matthew Perry is like the loss of a dear friend. He’s an absolutely beloved actor and it’s heartbreaking to think of his passing.
