In 1994, Matthew Perry first appeared as Chandler Bing on the extremely popular sitcom “Friends.” Over the next ten years, fans would grow to love the character Chandler Bing because of his witty comebacks, his boyish charm, and his relatability.
It is impossible to sum up the character in just a few moments. However, VALLEY has rounded up the best of the best for any “Friends” fans looking to pay tribute to Matthew Perry. He was a beloved actor who will not only be remembered for his comedic work on “Friends,” but also for his kindness and generosity of spirit. He will be missed.
Season 1, Episode 7: “The One with the Blackout”
The famous episode that debuted the term “friend zone” for the very first time. Not only that, but it contained one of Chandler’s funniest moments. During a citywide blackout, Chandler becomes trapped in an ATM vestibule with a famous Victoria’s Secret model Jill Goodacre. Throughout the episode, Chandler goes through many embarrassing moments, all in an attempt to impress the model. Not only that, but he flawlessly delivers the line that would become famous among “Friends” fans: “I’m trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre.”
Season 2, Episode 3: “The One Where Heckles Dies”
This episode starts out with the whole gang finding out their downstairs neighbor, Mr. Heckles, has passed away. As the episode progresses, it quickly starts to center around Chandler and his fears about growing up. He becomes scared that he will die alone, just like Mr. Heckles did. Let’s face it; everybody has had this fear at one point or another.
The episode ends with Chandler deciding that he isn’t going to break up with women for shallow reasons anymore. If he wants to find a life partner, he’d have to accept the good with the bad. This marks a moment of significant growth for the character Chandler.
Season 4, Episode 8: “The One with Chandler in a Box”
At the heart of Friends was exactly where the show’s title gets its namesake: friendships. It is arguable that the best relationship between the two characters on the whole show was between best friends Joey and Chandler.
In this episode, Chandler is trying to make it up to Joey after kissing his girlfriend. To prevent Joey from moving out, Chandler agrees to get into a wooden box for eight hours and think about how he let his friend down. At the end of the episode, Joey decides to forgive Chandler and encourages him to go after his own ex-girlfriend. This duo effectively proved that anything in a friendship can be worked out if you care enough about the other person, rather than your own ego.
Season 6, Episodes 24 & 25: “The One with the Proposal: Part 1 & 2”
While Ross and Rachel may have been the couple “Friends” centered much of its plot around, Chandler and Monica were the love story that stole the show.
In this episode, Chandler plans to propose to Monica. But he talks about how much he hates marriage just to throw her off track. He does all of this, not knowing that Monica’s ex-boyfriend has just confessed he’s still in love with her. At the end of the episode, when it seems like the couple is headed for a breakup, Chandler finally proposes. His speech during the proposal has to be some of the most heartfelt words uttered in the whole series.
Matthew Perry was a beloved figure in this world and he made a major impact on people with “Friends”. But Perry’s life spanned beyond this and VALLEY implores you to dive deeper into the work he’s done to create a better world.
What was your favorite Matthew Perry/Chandler Bing moment? Tweet us @VALLEYmag, with your thoughts as we celebrate Matthew’s memory.
