The best character of the TV series known to French fans of Friends, according to a survey conducted in 2020, was just him! Chandler Bing, played by the brilliant Matthew Perry, whose death this Saturday at the age of 54 has deeply shaken the world of the big and small screen.
An indefatigable joker, fond of words and more or less successful jokes, this charming joker, much more sensitive than he lets on and whose profession no one yet knows, is one of the mainstays of the group of friends.New Yorker.
But did you know that contrary to what you might imagine when we see Matthew Perry’s talented portrayal, the two creators of the series had a very difficult time finding an interpreter for him?
Indeed, as they said in the documentary Friends: The Reunion, David Crane and Marta Kaufman cut their hair a bit during casting before they met Perry:
“I thought Chandler would be the easiest of the six to guess because he’s not just a character, he’s funny, he’s always cracking jokes, he’s a real clown.”David Crane recalls.
“That’s how I thought it would work, that we were going to laugh and… and we got a lot of actors back to back and not laugh at all.”
“We worked with Matthew Perry on Dream on. And when Matthew read his lyrics, it was obvious”– says Marta Kaufman. “Suddenly all of our lines came to life, and for the first time since his auditions, we saw Chandler form before our eyes. Only he could play him.”
Unfortunately, as Matthew Perry revealed on the set of Seth Meyers in 2015, there was still a big problem to solve! Indeed, the agent forced him to accept any contract, because at the time the income was lacking, the actor had already taken on another project, much more risky: the sci-fi comedy LAX 2194, in which he was supposed to play … a baggage handler. For Aliens at Los Angeles Airport!
“Fortunately, someone at Warners saw the filming of 2194 and said, ‘This series will never work. Take Matthew from your friends, we’ll take care of the rest.” David Crane recalls. “And that’s how we got our Chandler. He delivered his lines with such ease that he made them his own. That’s what we call an innate comedic talent.”
While it’s unthinkable today to imagine anyone other than Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, several actors were briefly considered to play the character, as was the case with all of the show’s heroes. Before Perry, the famous Joker was almost played by Craig Bierko (the famous TV series UnREAL), Jon Cryer (from My Uncle Charlie) or even Jon Favreau (director of Iron Man, The Lion King and The Mandalorian).
After Matthew Perry was cast and the character’s outfit was designed (series costume designer Debra McGuire was inspired by her father’s vintage look to create the character’s T-shirts), it was finally time to start shooting! And to break the ice properly, the six friends got to know each other right by walking into the frozen fountain of the beginning.
As Kelsey Miller said in her book about the series I’ll Be With You: One about friendsIt was Matthew Perry’s joke that had the whole small group laughing as they froze and waited for production instructions as they poured water.
“It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t at this fountain.”Then Chandler’s translator came out, ushering in a decade of joy, laughter, and good humor between our six friends.
“We were doubled over. They were the ones who filmed it – we were laughing at Matthew Perry’s jokes about that inconvenient fountain.”Lisa Kudrow said later in the book Friends… until the end.
(Re)discover our video dedicated to ‘Friends’…
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
