Matthew Perry was an imperfect person, which made him the perfect Chandler Bing
Loss often brings with it a time of reflection.
Whenever there is a death, along with the grief comes the desire to process emotions and consider future plans. I at least try to find a silver lining when times are tough.
This week certainly felt hard with the loss of one of our dearest “Friends.”
Read on.
Something to sip on…
Matthew Perry’s death at the age of 54 was shocking for so many reasons.
Not only was he entirely too young to leave us, but as part of the “Friends” cast, he was a member of a group that we have always thought of collectively.
It feels incomprehensible to imagine Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer without Perry. They clearly feel that way as well, sharing a joint statement this week in which they called themselves a “family” and said they are “utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew.”
They know, as we all do, that a big part of the success of the show was Perry’s character, Chandler Bing. HIs romantic, sweet, yet sarcastic portrayal of Chandler made Perry feel like the heart and soul of the show. And he did it so well, it hardly felt like he was acting.
Perhaps, on some levels, he wasn’t.
“It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life,” he wrote in his 2022 memoir. “It wasn’t that I thought I could play Chandler. I was Chandler.”
Off screen, while working on the show, Perry struggled with substance abuse. He noted in his book it was difficult to watch the physical transformation he went through during his time on the show.
“I was, like, brutally thin and being beaten down so badly by the disease,” he wrote.
But Perry still managed to pour the best of himself into Chandler, bringing laughter to audiences around the world for multiple generations.
In his imperfection as a human being, Perry was able to give us a brashness mixed with vulnerability on the small screen. That’s why it’s so hard to deal with this final episode, the one where we all lost a friend.
One thing to talk about…
Speaking of friends, Adele is totally one in my head.
I’ve probably said this before, but I legitimately feel like she could be a part of my group texts. Yes, she’s an extraordinarily talented singer who is worth millions of dollars. But she just seems so delightful and so… normal.
Right down to how incredibly emotional she can be.
That was on display recently when the doctor who delivered her now 11-year-old son popped up in the audience at her Las Vegas residency. She was surprised and so overcome that the audience had to sing her song for her.
It was a beautiful moment.
You should listen to…
BTS is the most successful K-pop band ever and has set its members up for stellar solo careers.
Member Jungkook has leaned into that. According to Forbes, his song “Seven,” which features Latto, is now the fastest song to reach one billion streams on Spotify.
Jungkook’s debut solo album, “Golden,” is out Friday and it’s safe to say it will sell well.
Can’t wait to watch…
This is a day I have long awaited.
Season 2 of “The Gilded Age is out and it’s like reuniting with an old and dear friend. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and this one from the creator of “Downton Abbey” is sumptuous.
Set in 19th century New York City, the struggle between old money and new sets up the opportunity for all types of drama. But what I most appreciate about this series is that it portrays the Black elite class, people who have long gone unacknowledged in historical dramas.
The series is streaming on Max, which is owned by CNN’s parent company.
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