‘Friends’ Executive Producer Remembers 1 Of His Favorite Matthew Perry Scenes
One of the executive producers of “Friends” shared one of his favorite Chandler Bing moments as he remembered the actor who brought the beloved character to life.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Kevin Bright paid tribute to Matthew Perry, who was found dead in his jacuzzi Saturday night at his home in Los Angeles, California, in what appeared to be a drowning incident. He was 54.
CNN aired a moment that still brought a smile to Bright’s face, from the sixth season of the sitcom, which wrapped its 10-season run in 2004.
In the episode, part two of “The One with the Proposal,” the usually-sarcastic Chandler gives a tearful, heartfelt speech to his girlfriend Monica Geller (played by Courteney Cox) during a candlelit proposal she set up.
“We were rooting for Monica and Chandler all along, I think that was the thing about their relationship,” Bright said. “I remember when we were in London, we did the London wedding, and we revealed the relationship for the first time. Matthew and Courteney came out from under those covers. It was just like gangbusters for minutes in that place. The applause would not stop.”
Bright has known Perry since he started on “Friends” at 24 years old, along with tight-knit cast members Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow.
“I think for Matthew, with all of his troubles over the years, I think this cast really supported him in a way that allowed him to be the comic genius that he was,” Bright said.
Perry was outspoken about his decadeslong struggle with addiction. During the 2021 “Friends” reunion, Perry said he didn’t remember filming Seasons 3 through 6 due to substance abuse. He also wrote candidly about his experiences in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
He dedicated his book and his own platform, time and resources to other people battling addiction.
“He was on a mission to help people, and that’s what he was focussed on,” Bright said, recalling the last time he spoke with Perry a few months ago.
His “Friends” co-stars released a joint statement about the “unfathomable loss” on Monday. “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew,” it read. “We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.”
Perry’s cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Watch the interview (and the scene) below on CNN.
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