Matthew Perry’s life’s work was to make people laugh. It’s why he was so adamant that the final line in Friends – the hit 90s TV show that rocketed him to fame – was a joke. And he told it.
The comedian and actor, 54, died on 28 October 2023. Following the shocking news, fans around the world are remembering his talent as an iconic comedian and actor, and his knack for always having a clever thing to say.
In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote about why it was so important to him for his character Chandler to have the last line in the hugely popular TV show Friends.
Watch the video above.
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“Before that final episode, I’d taken Marta Kauffman to one side,” he wrote. “‘Nobody else will care about this except me’, I said. ‘So, may I please have the last line?’.”
“That’s why as we all troop out of the apartment, and Rachel has suggested one last coffee, I got to bring the curtain down on Friends.'”
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The final episode of Friends, ‘The Last One’, sees the six characters – Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Monica and Chandler – on the precipice of moving on to new adventures in life. Monica and Chandler having twins and moving to the suburbs, Ross and Rachel beginning their new relationship, Phoebe embarking on her new marriage, and Joey moving to LA to pursue his career.
After their goodbyes, the six place their keys to Monica’s iconic purple apartment on the kitchen island. Jennifer Aniston’s character Rachel Green asks if Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing and Courteney Cox’s Monica Gellar have time to have a coffee with the gang before they head to their new home.
“Sure,” Chandler says. “Where?”
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It’s of course assumed that they all sat on the orange couch in Central Perk for their final cup.
The line encapsulated Perry’s trademark mix of sarcasm and perfect timing, and it remains a part of his legacy.
In Perry’s memoir, the Emmy-nominated actor wrote of the moment, “I love the look on [David] Schwimmer’s face as I deliver that line – it’s the perfect mixture of affection and amusement, exactly what the show Friends had always given to the world.”
Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing details Perry’s hugely successful career as a comedian, actor, producer and writer, alongside his lifelong struggle with addiction. He wrote about how important comedy, and making people laugh, was to his self esteem.
Following the shock news, tributes have flowed in for Perry from high-profile celebrities including Justin Trudeau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Selma Blair and Adele.