'Friends' co-creators tell NPR they will remember Matthew Perry for his heart
There has been an immense outpouring of grief – and love – for actor Matthew Perry, who died last Saturday at his home in Los Angeles.
The 54-year-old actor had skyrocketed to fame playing Chandler Bing, one part of the chosen family on NBC's Friends. Chandler was nervous, insecure and sarcastic, but above all else, he was funny.
During the audition process, Friends co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane say they were questioning their writing, whether the character was funny. Then Matthew Perry showed up, and they knew he was their Chandler Bing "from the moment he opened his mouth and started saying words from the script," Kauffman said.
Crane added: "Within three lines, we were just like 'Oh, thank God, this is it.'"
Kauffman and Crane spoke with All Things Considered host Juana Summers to remember their former colleague.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
Juana Summers: You were also friends. You saw him up close every day for a decade. What was it about Matthew Perry that made him so beloved by so many? What was it that the two of you loved about him?
Marta Kauffman: His heart. He had a huge heart. He was just a loving guy who seemed to, you know, get along with everybody. He didn't cause relationship drama. And he was vulnerable at the same time. You know, he used his sarcasm and ability to tell jokes in real life to deflect whatever was going on that was deeper. But as time went on, he became more and more vulnerable and authentic.
David Crane: The thing that I just keep coming back to is he is really one of the funniest people I have ever worked with, I mean, as a human being, because there are a lot of actors who can kill a joke in a script, but they're not especially funny as people. And Matthew was really funny. Just, you know, one of those people who you looked forward to seeing every day.
Summers: Is there a favorite moment that either of you have of watching Matthew Perry as Chandler in the show that still really showcases the ginormous talent and humor and wit that he brought to the character?
Crane: One of my favorites is the very last line of the series he had. He had the last line of the show when they're all leaving the empty apartment and someone says, "Hey, you want to go get coffee?" And he takes the perfect pause and says, "Where?" And I can't do it like that, you know. But he absolutely made it funny and poignant. And when I think about his ability to spin even one word, that's the moment for me.
Kauffman: Look, there's so many moments that are hilariously funny. There's one of them for me – and for some reason, this moment really stuck with me because it was the character Richard, played by Tom Selleck, sharing a poem, a beautiful poem. At the end of which there is a pause. And Chandler says, "What?" And it was the perfect, perfect pause. Perfect. And the reading of the line is unbeatable.
Summers: Perry was so open about this struggles with addiction, and his book last year chronicled his attempts at recovery, the health problems he had because of opioid abuse. And one of the revelations in that book was the fact that he didn't remember filming about three years of the show. I'm wondering what that looked like from your vantage point.
Crane: How sad is that? I mean, I read that in the book and it just killed me because – even in the worst of times – he was doing amazing work and he was always funny and he was always present. And the fact that he doesn't have that memory or didn't, it was just heartbreaking.
Kauffman: And, you know, there was a short period of time where it felt like intellectually he was different. There was a period of time and everyone was very concerned. And, you know, I think that's probably one of the times he doesn't remember.
Summers: Marta, you told NBC News that when you talked to Matthew Perry a couple of weeks ago, that he was in a good place, he was playing pickleball. He quit smoking. I have to imagine that could make this more difficult and more painful.
Kauffman: It does. "Unfair" is the word that keeps coming to mind. You know, he was in a good place, and it felt solid to him. I got the sense that he didn't feel like he was on precarious ground. He seemed happy, healthy and found that being of service, helping other addicts and alcoholics gave him a new purpose. He's said this, that he hopes that when he dies, it's not going to be Friends, Friends, Friends, but he hopes it's about that he tried to help people.
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Transcript
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
This week, there's been an outpouring of grief, as well as praise, for the actor Matthew Perry. He died last Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was just 54. The actor skyrocketed to fame as one-sixth of the chosen family on the NBC powerhouse sitcom "Friends." Perry's character, Chandler Bing, was insecure and nervous, but above all else, he was funny.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FRIENDS")
MATTHEW PERRY: (As Chandler Bing) Calm down? Calm down? You set me up with a woman I've dumped twice in the last five months.
(LAUGHTER)
PERRY: (As Chandler) OK. I don't sound like that. That is so not true. Oh, so not - that is so not - that - oh, shut up.
SUMMERS: The Thursday night institution was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane. The pair were executive producers of the show for all 10 seasons, and they join me now. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
MARTA KAUFFMAN: Thank you very much.
DAVID CRANE: Hi.
SUMMERS: First of all, I just want to start by saying how terribly sorry that I am and that we all are for your loss.
KAUFFMAN: Yes. Thank you. We appreciate it.
CRANE: Thank you. It's just - it's a crazily sad time.
KAUFFMAN: With an outpouring of love at the same time - so much love.
SUMMERS: I mean, Matthew Perry's portrayal of Chandler Bing was so memorable for so many of us. It was so popular. I want to start by asking, how quickly did the two of you know that he was the person for this role?
KAUFFMAN: The moment he opened his mouth and started saying words from the script.
CRANE: Yeah. We actually auditioned tons of really talented people for the part, and it wasn't funny. And we went in thinking this would be the easiest role to cast because it had jokes. I mean, the character - Chandler told jokes. And so we thought, oh, well, this is a piece of cake. And nobody was funny, and - to the point where Marta and I were convinced, it's the writing. It's just - it's not a funny character. And then Matthew came in, and, as Marta says, within three lines, we were just like, oh, thank God.
SUMMERS: Wow.
CRANE: This is it.
SUMMERS: I mean, you were also friends. You saw him up close every day for a decade. What was it about Matthew Perry that made him so beloved by so many? What was it that the two of you loved about him?
KAUFFMAN: His heart. He had a huge heart. Yeah. He was just this loving guy who seemed to, you know, get along with everybody. He didn't cause relationship drama, and he was vulnerable at the same time. He used his sarcasm and ability to tell jokes in real life, too, to deflect, you know, whatever was going on that was deeper. But as time went on, he became more and more vulnerable and authentic.
CRANE: And from my perspective, the thing that I just - I keep coming back to is he is really one of the funniest people I have ever worked with. I mean, as a human being - because there are a lot of actors who can kill a joke in a script, but they're not especially funny as people. And Matthew was really funny - just, you know, one of those people who you looked forward to seeing every day.
SUMMERS: Is there a favorite moment that either of you have of watching Matthew Perry as Chandler in the show that really showcases the ginormous talent and humor and wit that he brought to the character?
CRANE: Probably one of my favorites is the very last line of the series. He had the last line of the show, when they're all leaving the empty apartment and someone says, hey, you want to go get coffee? And he takes the perfect pause and says, where?
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FRIENDS")
JENNIFER ANISTON: (As Rachel Green) OK. Should we get some coffee?
PERRY: (As Chandler Bing) Sure. Where?
CRANE: And I can't do it like that. But he absolutely - he made it funny and poignant. And when I think about his ability to spin even one word, that's the moment for me.
KAUFFMAN: And, you know, look, there are so many moments that are hilariously funny. And there's one of them for me - and it's interesting, David. It's another one-word moment. And the word was, what? And for some reason, this moment really stuck with me because it was the character Richard, played by Tom Selleck, sharing a poem, a beautiful poem, at the end of which there is a pause, and Chandler says, what?
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FRIENDS")
TOM SELLECK: (As Richard Burke) I'd like to make a toast. As a poet once said, in the sweetness of friendship, let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures, for in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
COURTENEY COX: (As Monica Geller) Oh.
PERRY: (As Chandler Bing) What?
KAUFFMAN: It was as - exactly as David is saying, the perfect, perfect pause. Perfect. And the reading of the line is unbeatable.
SUMMERS: I mean, Perry was so open about his struggles with addiction, and his book last year chronicled his attempts at recovery, the health problems he had because of opioid abuse. And one of the revelations in that book was the fact that he didn't remember filming about three years of the show. I'm wondering what that looked like from your vantage point.
CRANE: How sad is that? I mean, I read that in the book and it just killed me because he was - even in the worst of times, he was doing amazing work. And he was always funny, and he was always present. And the fact that he doesn't have that memory, or didn't, it was just heartbreaking.
KAUFFMAN: And, you know, there was a short period of time where it felt like intellectually, he was different. There was a period of time, and everyone was very concerned. And, you know, that's probably one of the times he doesn't remember.
SUMMERS: Marta, you told NBC News that when you talked to Matthew Perry a couple weeks ago, that he was in a good place. He was playing pickleball. He'd quit smoking. I have to imagine that could make this more difficult and more painful.
KAUFFMAN: It does. It's - unfair is the word that keeps coming to mind. You know, he was in a good place, and it felt solid to him. You know, I got the sense that he didn't feel like he was on precarious ground. He seemed happy, healthy and found that being of service - you know, helping other addicts and alcoholics - gave him a new purpose. And, you know - and he's said this, that, you know, he hopes - when he dies, it's going to be "Friends," "Friends," "Friends," "Friends." But he hopes that it's about that he tried to help people.
SUMMERS: Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the co-creators and executive producers of "Friends," thanks to both of you.
KAUFFMAN: Thank you very much.
CRANE: Thank you so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU")
THE REMBRANDTS: (Singing) So no one told you life was going to be this way. Your job's a joke. You're broke. Your love life's DOA. It's like you're always stuck in second gear when it hasn't been... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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