Matthew Perry Tribute

In the world of entertainment, the word “star” gets tossed around frequently, but very few impact generations of people across the globe.

Enter, Matthew Perry.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, the actor who captivated audiences most notably as Chandler in “Friends,” passed away at the age of 54, but Perry wasn’t just a side character in the background of the Jennifer Aniston-David Schwimmer on-screen romance.

Perry stole the spotlight as soon as the debut episode of “Friends” aired on Sept. 22, 1994.

Perry’s brilliant comedic timing and impeccable sarcastic delivery separated him from the rest of the cast, launching him into a stratosphere of stardom and a pantheon of wise guys alongside Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Jerry Seinfeld that’s carried over into iconic characters like Roman Roy in “Succession” and David in “Schitt’s Creek.”

Thus, likely creating a generation of one-liner-cracking kids that probably caused a lot of headaches and received a lot of detentions around the globe.

For many, Perry’s character was the show.

But behind the witty jabs was a tortured man battling for his life.

In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” the Massachusetts-born actor revealed the extent of his abuse issues, which at one point amounted to 55 pills a day during the show’s third season.

Perry claimed he was never high while never on set out of fear of messing up the opportunity for everyone else, and said that the show “had been a safe place, a touchstone of calm for me; it had given me a reason to get out of bed every morning, and it also had given me a reason to take it a little bit easier the night before.”

Shortly after “Friends,” Perry was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his role in TNT’s “The Ron Clark Story” and received two Emmy nominations in 2003 and 2004 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series as Joe Quincy in “The West Wing,” but couldn’t recapture the magic that launched him into stardom.

Many might say Perry was a star that never reached his full potential.

The stereotypical artist who was too afflicted by his internal demons, derailing him from the legendary status in the vein of music artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse.

But Perry is the epitome of the duality of man.

A beloved person all over the world by strangers for playing a fictitious role in the most famous show on the planet who couldn’t love himself.

How many people could keep their heads straight in that situation?

Award wins or box office numbers do not define Perry’s legacy. In the world of the rollercoaster Ross-and-Rachel romance, Perry’s character was the comedic relief that bound the show together, providing the humor that warmed the hearts of viewers across the globe like a warm blanket.

Without Chandler, “Friends” would not have been what it became.

If there’s a Mount Rushmore of sarcastic comedic actors, Perry belongs in the conversation at the minimum, but more importantly, his life serves as a tale of caution, joy and gratitude.

People don’t know how many days they have to walk this Earth. People don’t know what will happen after they leave this planet.

What the world should know is that Perry’s impact will live on forever and will bring glimmers of happiness and comfort to future generations to come.

Now how many stars can say they did that?

Matthew McLaughlin is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mem6936@psu.edu.