The Only Friends Star Who Managed Not To Cry Filming The Series Finale
When Friends ended its historic 10-year reign as the king of NBC, tears were a given.
The entire series of the classic sitcom was filled with laughs but ironically ended in all tears. The cast and crew were quite emotional by the time the show ended. Why wouldn't they? They had to bid farewell to the show that pushed them to stardom. They had to say goodbye to their Friends.
Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel Greene, said during an interview with Oprah, "I don't think we've ever taken more time in hair and makeup in between scenes. Also, that fact that we kept crying all our makeup off, over and over again."
It's fair to say that the 2004 finale was an emotional rollercoaster.
David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller, lost it during the pre-show ritual huddle. Matt LeBlanc, who played fan-favorite Joey Tribbiani, reverted and began smoking again because he was so depressed. The finale took a toll on everyone… well, almost everyone.
Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing, was rather stoic about the whole affair. He didn't even shed a tear, reportedly. The reality of things is heartbreaking, however. Perry had gotten addicted to drugs and alcohol during his tenure as Chandler, making his life a living hell.
In his book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry opened up about his struggles with addiction which left him "numb" and "dead inside." He wrote, "Jennifer Aniston was sobbing — after a while, I was amazed she had any water left in her entire body. Even Matt LeBlanc was crying, but I felt nothing."
He went into detail about how he struggled and made it difficult for him to enjoy his time on the show like his co-stars. However, despite visibly struggling, Perry never lost a step, and Chandler never changed.
Speaking with Tom Power for CBC, Perry expressed how he felt that it wasn't fair that their experiences were so different from his. He broke into tears over this, saying,
"It's not fair that I had to go through this disease while the other five didn't. They got everything that I got, but I had to fight this thing — and still have to fight this thing."
Because of his experiences, it is perhaps no surprise that he's uncomfortable with watching the show. He stated he didn't want to see himself at perhaps the lowest stages of his life. However, he did express an interest in reconnecting with the show.
He further stated that he started watching but had to stop because it was too painful. Thankfully, Matthew Perry is now clean and in a much better position than he was before. He seems to be making peace with his past, and we're all here to support him.