Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Matthew Perry’s meteoric rise to fame resulted from the cultural phenomenon of Friends. One of the most successful television series of all time, the American sitcom ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. The show revolved around six twenty-something single friends living in New York City: Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Monica (Courtney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), and Ross (David Schwimmer). Relative unknowns when the show started, the cast quickly became famous. They were also close friends off-screen. Praised for its witty scripts and the chemistry of its cast members, Friends was nominated for numerous comedy awards. The show’s finale received the highest viewing figures of any television episode in the 2000s. A reunion special with the cast members aired on HBO Max in 2021.

Friends is often credited as the forerunner of many modern sitcoms. The show’s iconic status was due to a combination of distinctive features. Created as an ensemble piece, the show featured no starring role: an unusual format at the time. Its popularity attracted many famous guest stars, including Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Kathleen Turner, and Bruce Willis. A running joke was that all episode titles began with “The One …”, e.g., “The One with Chandler’s Dad.” Most significantly, the show provided a fresh take on life as a twenty-something living in New York City. While more traditional sitcoms focused on family life, Friends presented its characters as an unconventional family unit, supporting each other through the challenges of early adulthood. Consequently, the show resonated with people of a similar age group.

In addition to acquiring many fans, Friends had a broader cultural impact on American society. Jennifer Aniston’s hairstyle on the show was so widely emulated that it became unofficially known as “The Rachel.” Elements of the characters’ speech patterns also filtered into widespread use. Joey’s catchphrase, “How you doin’?” became popular as a humorous greeting. Chandler’s sarcastic emphasis on certain words, such as “Could I be more sorry?” was also popularized. Perry asserts in his memoir, “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that Chandler Bing transformed the way America spoke” (31).

In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry provides considerable insight into the making of Friends. The author confirms that the cast members were close friends behind the scenes, and the show was a creative and collaborative experience. He praises David Schwimmer’s generosity, revealing that when Schwimmer’s star power was at its peak, he used his newfound capital to negotiate higher salaries not only for himself but for all the principal cast members, who earned over a million dollars per episode at the peak of the show’s success. More personal revelations in the memoir include Perry’s unreciprocated crush on Jennifer Aniston and his romance with Julia Roberts, which began when she guest appeared on the show. Most enlightening are the author’s descriptions of his addictions during the filming of Friends. Perry reveals that his appearance in each season reflects the “trajectory” of his substance use, and tells numerous stories about the challenges of filming while under the influence of substances or in withdrawal, including the revelation that he traveled from a rehabilitation center to film the famous episode in which his character, Chandler, wedded Courtney Cox’s. To watch those episodes after reading the memoir is inevitably to view them in a new light, not only as television but as a record of one real person’s struggle with addiction. Nevertheless, Perry emphasizes the supportiveness of his costars throughout his issues and describes acting in the show as “the time of our lives” (165).