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Tag: matthew-perry

  • ‘Friends’ Actor Matthew Perry Dies

    David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry in HBO Max's 'Friends: The Reunion.'
    (L to R) David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.

    Preview

    • ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry is dead at 54.
    • His TV and movie also career included ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, ‘Fools Rush In’ and ‘The West Wing’
    • Colleagues and co-stars, including Paget Brewster, paid tribute.

    Matthew Perry, who became hugely famous thanks to his role on iconic TV sitcom ‘Friends’, has died at the age of 54.

    He was reportedly found in a jacuzzi at his home, but the investigation is ongoing. He’ll be remembered primarily for his work on ‘Friends’ but enjoyed a long career on screens big and small.

    Matthew Perry: Early Life and Pre-‘Friends’ career

    Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max's 'Friends: The Reunion.'
    (L to R) Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photograph by Courtesy of HBO Max.

    Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19th, 1969. He was raised in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended elementary school alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

    His mother, Suzanne Morrison, was a journalist and press secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s father, while his father, John Bennett Perry, was an actor and model.

    Perry made his television debut in 1979 on an episode of ‘240-Robert’ (which starred his father). After moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, he would go on to book roles in shows like ‘Not Necessarily the News’, ‘Charles in Charge’, ‘Silver Spoons’, ‘Just the Ten of Us’ and ‘Highway to Heaven’. Perry became a series regular on ‘Boys Will be Boys’, which premiered in 1987 and ran for a single season.

    In 1989 he had a recurring role on ‘Growing Pains’ followed by a series regular role on ‘Sydney’. He’d continue to guest star on shows like ‘Who’s the Boss?’ ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, and ‘Dream On’.

    In 1993 he was a series regular on ‘Home Free’, but his big break would come the following year.

    Related Article: Richard Roundtree, Best Known for Playing the Lead in ‘Shaft’, Has Died at the Age of 81

    ‘Friends’ and Beyond: Perry’s career takes off

    Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max's 'Friends: The Reunion.'
    (L to R) Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.

    In 1994, Perry landed the role of the wise-cracking Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom ‘Friends.’ Along with co-stars David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc he became a household name.

    Across 10 seasons, ‘Friends’ was the most successful comedy series of the ‘90s, earning different generations of fans during its run and in more recent times since younger audiences have discovered it via Netflix.

    Perry, along with his colleagues, would end up earning a huge $1 million fee per episode.

    And though he never reached the heights of, say, his co-star Aniston in terms of movie fame, he appeared on a variety of shows and films following his time on the series.

    His post-friends TV work included appearances on ‘The West Wing’, ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ and ‘Mr. Sunshine’, a sitcom he co-created that lasted for nine episodes. A reboot of ‘The Odd Couple’ fared better, lasting three seasons.

    Which movies has Matthew Perry appeared in?

    Matthew Perry stars in '17 Again.'
    Matthew Perry stars in ’17 Again.’

    Though it was not the focus of his career, Matthew Perry appeared in movies both before, during and after his stint on ‘Friends’.

    Early work included ‘A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon’, ‘She’s Out of Control’, ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’, ‘Fools Rush In’, and ‘Almost Heroes.’

    Other movies include ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, ‘Serving Sara’, ‘The Whole Ten Yards’, ‘Birds of America’ and ‘17 Again’.

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    Matthew Perry: tributes arrive

    Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max's 'Friends: The Reunion.'
    (L to R) Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.

    Warner Bros. TV, the production company behind friends, issued a statement on his death:

    “We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry. Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.”

    Paget Brewster, who appeared on ‘Friends’ hit Twitter to offer her own tribute:

    Matthew Perry: life struggles

    Perry was open about his battles with addiction to both alcohol and pills and spent a considerable amount of time and money getting sober. He ended up founding Perry House, a men’s sober living facility, in his old Malibu beach home. “I really lived life to its fullest and that got me in trouble from time to time,” he said in a US Weekly interview several years ago.

    Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc in HBO Max's 'Friends: The Reunion.'
    (L to R) Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc in HBO Max’s ‘Friends: The Reunion.’ Photography by Terence Patrick.

    Matthew Perry Movies:

    Buy Matthew Perry Movies On Amazon

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  • Matthew Perry Is Sorry For Beating up Justin Trudeau in Grade School

    Matthew Perry revealed to Jimmy Kimmel this week that he went to school with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — and that he beat him up!

    When asked if knew the hunky Canadian politician, the “Friends” star admitted, “I have a story about him that I’m not proud of. [A friend of mine and I] actually beat up Justin Trudeau.”

    This all went down when Perry was in the fifth grade and Trudeau was a few years younger. The motivation is bit hazy now, but Perry recollects, “I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren’t, so it was pure jealousy.”

    He joked that Trudeau, whose father, Pierre, was Prime Minister of Canada at the time, was “the only kid in school I could beat up.” As Kimmel inquired, the future Canadian PM had no bodyguards.

    Perry says he feels “shame” over the incident. “I’m not bragging about this. This is terrible, and I was a stupid kid.” And no, he has not reached out to Trudeau all these years later.

    Perry stars as Ted Kennedy in the mini-series “The Kennedys: After Camelot,” which debuts April 2 on Reelz.

  • Chandler Dies & Returns as a Ghost in Brilliant ‘Friends’ Mashup

    Could this *be* more eerily perfect?

    Just in time for Halloween, a creative “Friends” fan conjured a 16-minute mashup called “The One Where Chandler Dies…,” imagining an episode where Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) dies in an accident with an ice cream truck, then comes back as a glowing green ghost the other friends can’t see. It’s funny, creepy, strangely moving, and amazingly clever.

    Check it out:
    Well done, er, “Dogfood”! That’s the name of the YouTuber who posted the video, adding this description to reveal the impressive amount of work it took:

    “A loving mashup offering an alternate ending to Friends that’s at once very bleak, but also existential, spooky and uplifting Originally envisioned at a 90-seconds max. duration, the final cut is just 6 minutes shy of the standard 22-min episode length, contains around 125 FX shots and parts of around 125 episodes of the 236 made.”

    NBC should seriously make a deal with this YouTuber and air an extended version of the mashup as a special Halloween episode. “Friends” fans are always begging for a reunion episode … well, here you go! (And it’s slightly less depressing than the fan fiction that “Friends” was all in Phoebe’s mind.)

    [via: Entertainment Weekly]

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  • Famous TV Shows That Launched Stars’ Careers

    Freaks and GeeksEvery famous actor has one performance that served as a breakout role, and for many, that role was in a television series. Inviting the actors into your home on a daily or weekly basis is one of the most magical things about television. So you feel invested in those moments you see a star being born. From low-rated shows that only ran a season to ratings behemoths that remained popular for more than a decade, these series launched the careers of some beloved stars.

    ‘Friends’ (1994 – 2004)

    It’s easy to forget that the cast of “Friends” were all unknowns at the start. Family Ties,” and a handful of movie roles. Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer were all working actors but none had yet found a project that took off. Everything changed when the six of them sat on that orange velvet couch at Central Perk, drinking oversized lattes. Despite some spectacularly awful 1990s fashion and those distinctive haircuts, “Friends” doesn’t feel dated and remains one of the classic sitcoms of all time. The cast has not stopped working since the show went off the air, proving they will always be there for us.

    ‘My So-Called Life’ (1994 – 1995)

    Critically beloved and tragically canceled after one season, “My So-Called Life” launched the careers of Homeland,” while Leto, among other achievements, won every Supporting Acting award possible for his work in “Dallas Buyers Club.”

    ‘Freaks and Geeks’ (1999 – 2000)

    Cult classic “Freaks and Geeks” was a veritable talent farm, launching the careers of Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, and Busy Phillips. It was also created by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids“) and executive produced by a little-known guy named Judd Apatow. So how exactly did this dramedy last for a mere 15 episodes on NBC? That’s one of television’s most enduring mysteries.

    ‘ER’ (1994 – 2009)

    Best known for stints on “The Facts of Life” and “Roseanne,” ER.” It’s a perfect example of the right actor being cast in the right role at the right time. Clooney brought an immense amount of charm to the role, and Doug became the quintessential bad boy with a heart of gold. His chemistry with co-star Julianna Margulies was electric, making Doug and Carol Hathaway one of the iconic TV couples of the ’90s. And don’t forget — he brought the Caesar haircut back. Clooney left “ER” in 1999 to pursue movies, but returned as a guest star several times, proving that he never forgot where he came from.

    Lest you think Clooney and Margulies were the only stars to emerge from County General, don’t forget that Noah Wyle, Ming-Na, Alex Kingston, and Maura Tierney all had breakout roles on “ER” as well, making it a destination show for dramatic talent in the ’90s.

    ‘Dawson’s Creek’ (1998 – 2003)

    Dawson’s Creek.” Holmes even famously delayed her audition so she could star as Lola in her high school’s production of “Damn Yankees.” While the entire cast delivers fantastic performances, the one to watch is future three-time Oscar nominee Williams. Her portrayal of the troubled Jen Lindley displays a maturity well beyond her 15 years.

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  • Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry Had a Mini ‘Friends’ Reunion in London, Baby!

    Cast of FriendsMatt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry held a mini “Friends” reunion in London over the weekend, making us happier than Joey Tribbiani exploring the world capital with with a giant, pop-up map.

    LeBlanc, who’s been in the UK a lot recently filming the rebooted version of BBC car series “Top Gear,” took in some theater on Sunday, catching Perry in the play “The End of Longing,” which is currently running in London’s famed West End theater district. (And is the reason why Perry couldn’t make it to NBC’s James Burrows tribute, at which the rest of the “Friends” gang reunited to reminisce about working with the famed director.) The two caught up after the show and posed for a photo, which LeBlanc shared on Instagram, star raving that “[Perry] and the cast were great.”

    Went to see The End If Longing last night and ran into this dude. He and the cast were great. Way to go bro.

    A photo posted by Matt LeBlanc (@mleblanc) on


    Of course, “Friends” fans know that LeBlanc and Perry have already hung out in London before: during the epic two-part season four finale in which Ross got hitched in the city, and his pals came along for some fun (and some shenanigans — “I take thee, Rachel,” anyone?). The episode featured Joey and Chandler squabbling over Joey’s overly-enthusiastic approach to being a tourist, leading Chandler to bail on his buddy — and miss out on a big celebrity sighting.

    There’s no word on whether or not LeBlanc later ran into a former royal and rubbed it in Perry’s face, though we can only hope something along those lines occurred. London, baby!

    [via: Matt LeBlanc]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • 8 Times Monica and Chandler From ‘Friends’ Were Ultimate #RelationshipGoals

    %Slideshow-363083% Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) couldn’t BE more of a perfect couple. Even when they’re bickering, they’re still giving us the epitome of relationship goals. It just goes to show that friends really can fall in love — at least on TV.

    These are the eight times these “Friends” gave us all the feels.

  • Matthew Perry Doesn’t Remember Three Years of ‘Friends’

    “Friends,” but the true story of his substance abuse is anything but funny. The actor is now working in London, which is why he’s not in that epic “Friends” reunion photo, and he recently talked to BBC Radio 2 about his past, present, and future work.

    Matthew was asked about his least favorite “Friends” episode and he answered, “Oh my goodness. … I think the answer is ‘I don’t remember three years of it.’” One of the hosts noted that he was a little out of it, and Matthew agreed, saying, “a little bit of the time, I was a little out of it, yeah.” They shared stories of famous people doing their jobs while high, adding that they don’t recommend that anyone try that at home. “Anyway,” Matthew said, “my answer to your question is ‘Somewhere between season 3 and 6.’”

    Unfortunately it’s not breaking news that Matthew struggled with substance abuse and it affected him even while he was playing Chandler. Back in 2013, Matthew was on the cover of People magazine under the headline “My Life As an Addict: Getting Sober and Helping Others,” talking about his years-long battle with addictions to alcohol and Vicodin. He said eventually “something clicked” and he was ready to get help. After that, he started helping others get the same help.

    On a more positive note, Matthew was asked how much it would cost to get the “Friends” cast together to shoot more episodes. “Oh, I don’t know what the price would be,” he told BBC Radio 2. “I think the actors would actually be open to it. I do. I think we’d be open to doing something. Some kind of TV special, I don’t know about a movie.” He said it’s tough because they ended on such a high note, so they’d have to be careful not to do something that would ruin that. But he said the actors have talked about it at dinner and other times they’ve hung out. “It’s a really good group. There isn’t a jerk in the group and that really saved us for 10 years.”

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  • 25 Chandler Bing Burns From ‘Friends’ That Couldn’t BE Any Funnier

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    Could Chandler be any funnier?

    Face it: He’s your favorite “Friend” and “transpondster.” Those bowling shirts aside, there was nothing Mr. Bing could do wrong — especially when it came to delivering perfectly-timed one-liners. Of course, if he was a real friend, he would have totally been ex-communicated from any real group of people that hung out that much. But because this is TV, we let him get away with it. Because funny.

    In honor of Matthew Perry’s birthday this week, here are 25 of Chandler’s best, most sarcastic burns.

  • ‘Friends’ Reunion Update: Matthew Perry Won’t Be There for You

    1996 THE CAST OF THE TV HIT SERIES "FRIENDS"Sorry, “Friends” fans, but that so-called “reunion” of the six sitcom castmates isn’t really a reunion anymore: One of the main friends won’t be there for you.

    Matthew Perry will be absent when production starts on the planned tribute to legendary sitcom director James Burrows, which was to have featured several casts of his famous series, including “Frasier,” “Will & Grace,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and the “Friends” crew. Perry is currently in London rehearsing for a new play, “The End of Longing,” which is set to begin previews in the coming weeks. The Burrows special — which is airing on NBC next month — is set to tape on January 24.

    NBC chairman Robert Greenblatt had gotten fans’ hopes up earlier this week when he announced at a Television Critics Association panel that the “Friends” gang — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Perry, and David Schwimmer — were set to reunite to pay tribute to Burrows, who helmed many episodes of “Friends” throughout its 10-season run (including the pilot, and the infamous “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break”). Greenblatt had said that he was cautiously optimistic that he could wrangle the entire cast together to honor Burrows, but was hesitant to call it a sure thing.

    “We’d like to get all six of them in the same room at the same time, but I’m not sure we can logistically pull it off,” Burrows said at the time.

    But on Thursday, a representative for Perry told USA Today that Perry simply wouldn’t be able to make it, since he’s tied up across the pond (something NBC reportedly knew before Greenblatt’s announcement).

    “Matthew may tape something for the tribute,” the spokeswoman, Lisa Kasteler, told the outlet. “In other words, this is not the reunion people have been hoping for.”

    You’re telling us. Could we BE any more bummed? Then again, this was never supposed to be hyped as solely a “Friends” reunion anyway — the special is really all about Burrows and his contribution to the television landscape over many decades (including his involvement with classic series such as “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” and “Laverne & Shirley”). We suppose now that Perry will be missing, the focus can shift back to Burrows where it belongs.

    The special is set to air on NBC on February 21.

    [via: USA Today]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

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  • The ‘Friends’ Cast Is Reuniting! This Is Not a Drill!

    FriendsThe cast of “Friends” will be there for James Burrows.

    The six stars of the now-classic NBC sitcom — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, — are reuniting on screen for the first time since 2004. If if you’re hoping for a follow-up to the series, sorry! Instead, the cast is getting together to honor veteran director Burrows, who recently helmed his 1,000th episode of television.

    Burrows directed many episodes of “Friends,” as well as other hit shows including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “The Big Bang Theory.” He crossed the 1,000-marker line last November with NBC’s midseason comedy, “Crowded.”

    The Burrows tribute is a two-hour-long special being likened to the “Saturday Night Live” 40th anniversary extravaganza. Other luminary casts will also join in the fun, including the stars of “Frasier,” “Will & Grace,” and “The Big Bang Theory.” The special will air Sunday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m.

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