I Watched Friends After Matthew Perry’s Death & These 5 Thoughts Kept Crawling Into My Mind – Watching Chandler Bing Will Indeed Never Be The Same Again!
Matthew Perry is no more, and watching Friends will never be the same; how my heart ached every moment Chandler Bing was on screen.
Matthew Perry Passed Away At 54 (Picture Credit: Facebook)
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I’m one of those who watches random episodes of Friends during my meals, after work, or when I’m sad. Over the last two weeks, I’d been binge-watching the iconic sitcom, and the loss of Matthew Perry has left a void in my heart.
I was witnessing possibly the best storyline for Chandler Bing. He’s moved out of his house with Joey Tribbiani, but their friendship strengthened. He’s getting used to his girlfriend Monica’s annoying habits but loves every moment of their live-in relationship. He’s hard-working, committed, and always there for his friends.
But can anyone imagine he was shooting all this while struggling with personal turmoil? He was so addicted to illegal substances that he didn’t feel a sting in his heart when Friends wrapped up its final episode. Ironically, it reminds me of the episode ‘The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry’ when he couldn’t shed a tear despite being reminded of his traumatic childhood or conversation around Monica on her deathbed. By the end of the episode, he’s crying a river about anything and everything, including why Rachel and Ross cannot work out their relationship. That happened to Matthew Perry last year in December when he shared that he was ready to give love another chance and embrace parenthood. But guess it was too late.
I’ve been reading all of his unknown past. From smoking to drug addiction, estranged relationship with his father to failed romantic ones. It feels like I will never be able to see Chandler Bing for the sarcastic, hilarious character that he was because I constantly keep getting reminded of the tragic end of Matthew Perry.
After gathering a lot of courage despite initial hesitation, I resumed my re-run of Friends on Netflix.
Below are 5 thoughts that constantly crawled inside my mind:
Is He High Right Now?
One could say Matthew Perry’s willpower was like no other. Despite spending $9 million trying to get sober, Matthew Perry struggled for as long as the age of 49. He was dealing with alcohol and substance abuse during the filming of Friends but managed to light up our faces as the classic Chandler Bing. But I cannot stop thinking every time I watch a scene featuring him, “Is he high here?” but still managing to entertain us? One can only wonder how difficult it would have been to show up, but he did it for his fans, and we cannot be more grateful! Thank you for the laughs, Matt.
(Picture Credit: Youtube)
How Is He So Effortless With The Dialogues?
Fans would notice changes in his appearance and weight, more evidently from Seasons 3-6. That is the phase when Matthew did not even remember shooting because of his alcohol and opioid addiction. While I kept asking myself, “How does he remember all these dialogues?” and “How is he so effortless?” Truth is, he loved acting, and clearly, he was in a truly committed relationship with his art. So he may not have found his life partner, but he did leave the world with the most successful relationship!
(Picture Credit: IMDB)
Is This The Couch Scene Where He Dozed Off?
It is widely known that Friends co-stars are equally close in real life. But a true Joey-Chandler scenario was witnessed when Matthew ended up dozing off during a scene at the coffee house, and Matt Le Blanc came to his rescue.
He detailed the incident in his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, “One time, In a scene in the coffeehouse when I’m dressed in a suit, I fell asleep right there on the couch, and disaster was averted only when Matt LeBlanc nudged me awake right before my line. No one noticed, but I knew how close I’d come.”
(Picture Credit: Facebook)
His Friends co-stars were truly selfless!
We cannot deny that dealing with Matthew Perry must have been difficult once in a while. But neither the Friends co-creators nor the co-stars ever mentioned anything about it in public. In fact, Matthew had revealed that Jennifer Aniston would constantly check on him even after the show concluded.
These are Friends who turned family!
(Picture Credit: IMDB)
He is no more!
Let’s face it: every moment you watch Matthew Perry on-screen, it’s the reality that hits. No more sarcasm, no more laughs, no more reunions! Every single time we witness the Friends cast reunite now, there will always be something missing, and it’s going to be challenging to come to terms with that.
(Picture Credit: Instagram)
Matthew Perry managed to live a beautiful life despite all the struggles. He wanted to get better, he wanted to smile brighter, and it’s the most precious memory that will stay with us forever.
