GKvtCiJVl2
Friends is the comfort blanket I return to whenever I need a pick-me-up. It’s warm and familiar and Chandler Bing always makes me laugh. I relate to all the characters in some way or another – Phoebe’s quirkiness, Joey’s love of food – but with Chandler, it’s on a more human level. I think we’ve all resonated with his “I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love” line at some point or another.
It can feel weird to admit that you’re grieving the death of someone you never knew, but losing someone you associate with so many different times in your life – both happy and sad – is nuanced, even if yours was a parasocial relationship, to begin with.
With so much love for Matthew Perry online, we thought it only right to revisit one of his most iconic roles and look back on some of his best lines as Chandler Bing.
In no particular order…
“Gum would be perfection.”
Ross: “I went to that tanning place your wife suggested.”
Chandler: “Was that place the sun?”
Ross: “No, homo habilis was erect. Australopithecus was never fully erect.”
Chandler: “Well, maybe he was nervous.”
“I’m not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”
Ross: “What am I gonna do? This is a complete nightmare.”
Chandler: “I know. This must be so hard. ‘Oh, no. Two women love me. They’re both gorgeous and sexy, my wallet’s too small for my 50s, and my diamond shoes are too tight.’”
“Are you aware that unagi is an eel?”
Joey: “I need to organise my thoughts.”
Chandler: “Your thoughts? Plural?”
Janice: “What a small world.”
Chandler: “And yet I never run into Beyoncé.”
“Oh yeah, gym member. I try to go four times a week, but I’ve missed the last 1200 times.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrrhythm444/video/7295259455560682753
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
Monica: “Ok, I’ve got a leg, three breasts, and a wing.”
Chandler: “How do you find clothes that fit?”
Bonus: Matthew Perry’s favourite line: “Ok. You have to stop the Q-tip when there’s resistance.”
As fans of the series will know, Perry struggled with addiction throughout his life; something he was candid about in recent years and while most of us were familiar with him for his acting work, he was also an incredible advocate and support for others dealing with substance abuse issues. In 2013, he founded Perry House, a men’s sober living facility which ran in his old Malibu beach home until 2015. According to People, he had plans to establish his own foundation too.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I’m still working through it personally, but the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I will do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’ So I do that, whenever I can. In groups, or one on one,” the late actor wrote in his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.
“And I created the Perry House in Malibu, a sober-living facility for men. I also wrote my playThe End of Longing, which is a personal message to the world, an exaggerated form of me as a drunk. I had something important to say to people like me, and to people who love people like me.
“When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends. And I’m glad of that, happy I’ve done some solid work as an actor, as well as given people multiple chances to make fun of my struggles on the world wide web… but when I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try to help other people. I know it won’t happen, but it would be nice,” he concluded.
So, yes, while this article is dedicated to some of his best lines as Chandler Bing, there’s far more to remember him for and I think it important to honour his wishes and mention his advocacy work too.
A gem both on and off the screen, he’ll be so missed.
Feature image via @friends