Why a Friends Episode When Chandler Spoke the Least was Matthew Perry’s Favorite

The late actor told PEOPLE 2021 why he loved one particular episode of the NBC sitcom’s first season the most

Friends aired 236 episodes during its 10-season run, and the one Matthew Perry said he enjoyed the most was, ironically, the episode in which his signature verbal humor was on display the least.

During the season one episode “The One with the Blackout”, Perry’s character Chandler Bing gets stuck in an ATM lobby with Victoria’s Secret model Jill Goodacre during a city-wide power outage.

“The interesting thing about that episode was that I didn’t say much; it was mostly in voice acting,” Perry said Entertainment Weekly in 2004 as Friends he was approaching his final. “We pre-recorded what I said and I had to react.”

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It didn’t hurt that Perry’s scene partner was Goodacre, he admitted in the interview (republished in PEOPLE’s special 25th anniversary edition of the NBC sitcom in 2019).

“Let’s face it: Jill Goodacre is hot, so it wasn’t that hard,” he said, adding, “I [remember] I spat out the chewing gum and it stuck to the wall. It was my choice to just stay frozen in fear and embarrassment. … What was great about that night was that I also got to watch the other three-quarters of the play, which was these five great actors doing an ensemble that was incredible. This was the first time I realized, ‘Whoah, this really clicks.'”

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Perry received an Emmy Award for his work on Friends 2002, and the series became an indelible part of his acting legacy.

He reunited with his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer in 2021 for an HBO Max special, though the actors spent years spending quality time together off-screen, often appearing at each other’s premieres and birthday dinners. .

‘Friends’ starring David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc in 1999. All Friends Actors pay touching tribute to Matthew Perry

Perry, 54, was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on October 28 and was laid to rest on November 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. All five of his Friends Costars were present at the service.

Earlier that week, they they broke their silence two days after his death with a joint statement to PEOPLE.

“We are all so completely devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than cast mates. We are family,” they shared. “There is so much to say, but right now we will take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

The statement continued: “We will say more in time, as and when we can. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends and everyone who loved him around the world.”

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

A new expanded special edition of PEOPLE’s Friends celebrates Matthew Perry’s life, humor and the series that made him beloved by millions.

In the weeks that followed, Perry’s co-stars also individually paid tribute to the actor on Instagram, noting his immense talent and kindness.

“Having to say goodbye to our Matty was a crazy wave of emotions I’ve never experienced before,” Aniston wrote on Nov. 15, adding, “Matty, I love you so much and I know you’re now completely at peace and out of pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you say ‘could you BE any crazier?’”

LeBlanc’s bittersweet farewell was both heartfelt and humorous.

“It was an honor to share the stage with you and call you my friend,” he wrote on November 14. “I will always smile when I think of you and I will never forget you. Never. Spread your wings and fly brother you are finally free. Full of love. And I guess you get to keep the $20 you owe me.”

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Source: HIS Education