On October 28, 2023, beloved comedy actor Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home. Perry’s career will be marked by his roles in projects like 17 Again, The Odd Couple, and, of course, the iconic sitcom that made him and his co-stars famous, Friends.
Matthew Perry in ‘Friends’
Perry played Chandler Bing on Friends, one of the three main male characters who famously described himself as “hopeless, and awkward, and desperate for love,” and routinely proved that he was just as pathetic in his romantic endeavors as many of the Friends viewers. His continued efforts to find someone to spend his life with eventually paid off, and it wasn’t Perry’s awkwardness or desperation that ultimately defined his character. It was his sarcasm.
Sarcasm Has Been Tried by Many
Many characters throughout modern television history have given sarcasm the old college try. While Friends was on the air, Jerry Seinfeld on his titular sitcom was delivering plenty of sarcastic lines, as was Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Post-’90s sitcoms, we were introduced to the dry wit of John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert on The Office and later Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.
We’ve seen sarcasm come outside the sitcom realm from animated characters like Stewie Griffin on Family Guy and even beyond the comedy confines entirely in characters like Dr. House on House. But none of those characters quite had the same charm as Chandler Bing.
It was Perfected by Matthew Perry
Perry’s sarcasm was special. It always landed, it was easy to pick up on without being overt, and it was never outright mean. Sure, it had the occasional hint of condescension or mockery – what’s sarcasm without a bit of those? – but it never came at the emotional expense of another character. If Chandler was simply making fun of someone, it was usually himself.
It’s rare for sarcasm to be so endearing, but Perry proved it’s possible on Friends. Chandler genuinely loved his friends, and Perry genuinely loved his co-stars. That kind of chemistry doesn’t happen often, and it certainly can’t be forced. It resulted in the magic that is Friends, and Perry’s sarcasm was another main ingredient in the potion. While we won’t be able to see Perry in new projects in the future, we’ll always have the gift that is Friends. No one will ever do sarcasm like Matthew Perry did sarcasm.
Friends is streaming now on Max.