How Matthew Perry Rescued John Stamos During His Friends Cameo
In the wake of Matthew Perry's strikingly candid autobiography and the actor's untimely passing at the age of 54, there's been a tendency among "Friends" fans to say that watching the show will never be the same again. That's understandable. Perry himself said that even he couldn't bring himself to watch the beloved sitcom precisely because he could tell, season by season, what substance he was abusing based on how he looked. That's something that will forever stick with fans of the show, especially since his passing has solidified the inescapable tragedy of his addiction issues.
But there's also every reason to rewatch "Friends" with just as much, if not more optimism and joy than before. That's because, in spite of his problems and the physical toll they took, the Canadian star managed to project this unforgettable performance that I don't think it's an exaggeration to say, helped in part to define an entire generation's comedic sensibilities. Whatever he was dealing with behind the scenes, as Chandler Bing, Perry was indelibly magnetic, delivering just as much spirited physical comedy as he did subtle drollery.
There was more that Perry brought to the show, too. The actor often uplifted his castmates, providing the laughs for the "Friends" opening fountain shoot and generally keeping things light and fun for everyone in his presence. That seems to have been true of the actor even when he wasn't on the "Friends" set, with everyone from Lindsay Posner, director of Perry's play "The End of Longing," to Hank Azaria talking about how unrelentingly funny, bright, and keen to keep people entertained he was.
With "Friends," Perry had not only the perfect environment to demonstrate his sharp comedic chops, but an ongoing opportunity to showcase his eagerness to uplift others, as one particular behind-the-scenes story shows.
'I never forgot that'
In the season nine episode of the comforting purgatory that is "Friends," entitled "The One With The Donor," Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Perry) start their search for a sperm donor after being told by their doctor that both of them are infertile. The couple invites one of Chandler's work friends to dinner to see if he'd be a good match. That work friend is Zach, played by Perry's friend John Stamos. Now, in the wake of Perry's death, Stamos has written about his time on the show in an Instagram post that once again demonstrates his late friend's compassion.
Writing about his experience in a lengthy caption, the "Full House" star noted how he and Perry "had been friendly long before 'Friends'" and that he'd "hung with him a lot" when shooting his guest appearance on the sitcom. Stamos went on to write:
"Standing backstage, ready to make my entrance, Matt whispers, 'The audience is going go crazy when they see you! Get ready for some loud screams.' I walk through the door... silence. I was so embarrassed. We finish the scene and as I start to slither back to my dressing room and quit showbiz, Matt walks over to the studio audience: 'Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn't recognize him at first because he's so much better looking in person!' I never forgot that and the world will never forget you."
Stamos previously revealed the first part of this story in a 2021 TODAY interview, but until now hadn't spoken publicly about Perry's kind-hearted intervention.
Perry found light in his own darkness
More than anyone, Matthew Perry knew how excruciating it could be to receive little to no response from a live audience. The actor revealed in his memoir (via the BBC) that he had an urgent need for fame and attention prior to his "Friends" role, writing, "I yearned for [fame] more than any other person on the face of the planet. I needed it. It was the only thing that would fix me." Even after landing the role of Chandler, however, Perry found that his need for attention and validation remained. In the 2022 "Friends" reunion show, the actor told his five co-stars (via Vanity Fair):
"I felt like I was gonna die if [the audience] didn't laugh. And it's not healthy for sure, but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn't laugh — and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out... I felt like that every single night."
There's a moment from the "Friends" bloopers where Perry delivers a joke that doesn't land, after which Jennifer Aniston forgets her line. Perry then breaks the tension by saying, "You were thrown off by the hundreds of people not laughing at what I just said." In retrospect, this moment speaks to the actor's acute sense of how he's being received and his desire for acceptance. Which, again, casts a bit of a shadow over our collective memories of "Friends." But if this John Stamos story shows us anything, it's that Perry was at least able to turn his own insecurities into a way of empathizing with those around him.