Matthew Perryalmost didn’t get the chance to play Chandler Bing onFriends.The actor — who reportedlydiedat age 54 on Saturday — recalled nearly missing out on the opportunity to be part of the NBC comedy during a 2015 appearance onLate Night With Seth Meyers. Perry recalled becoming desperate for work in 1994 after his “terrible” manager told him he had “no money.”“This happened to be the year thatFriendswas shot, but I was off the market because I had taken a job on a pilot calledLAX 2194that was about baggage handlers at L.A. Airport in the year 2194,” he explained.Matthew Perry on ‘Friends’.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty“So I was wearing a futuristic shirt,” he added. “And little people played the aliens in which I had to sort out the aliens’ luggage and that was basically the show.”While he was committed to the role onLAX 2194, he recalled receiving a script forFriends, adding, “It was hilarious and great.”“There was this part that was perfect for me and it was making me crazy that I couldn’t go up for it because [of] the baggage handlers show,” he added. “I was losing my mind.”Matthew Perry.Taylor Hill/GettyHowever, his plans changed when an executive at Fox watched theLAX 2194and called it “the worst thing we’ve ever seen in our lives.”He recalled the executive saying, “He is available. You can hire him for your little show calledFriends Like Usthat then becameFriends.”Perry went to star alongsideJennifer Aniston,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlanc,Courteney CoxandLisa Kudrowfor 10 seasons on the NBC comedy, which ran from 1994 to 2004.In his 2022 memoir,Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, he remembered praying for his life to change weeks before the audition forFriends.“About three weeks before my audition forFriends, I was alone in my apartment on Sunset and Doheny, 10th floor — it was very small, but it had a great view, of course — and I was reading in the newspaper aboutCharlie Sheen,” he wrote, perInsider. “It said that Sheen was yet again in trouble for something, but I remember thinking, Why does he care — he’s famous.“David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow on ‘Friends’.Warner Bros. Television"Out of nowhere, I found myself getting to my knees, closing my eyes tightly, and praying. I had never done this before,” he added. His prayer included: “God, you can do whatever you want to me. Just please make me famous.““Three weeks later, I got cast inFriends. And God has certainly kept his side of the bargain — but the Almighty, being the Almighty, had not forgotten the first part of that prayer as well,” he said, seemingly referring to his addiction and health struggles.Perry wasfound deadfrom an apparent drowning at a Los Angeles-area home on Saturday,TMZreported, citing law enforcement sources.A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at Perry’s address regarding the death of a male in his 50s, but would not confirm the deceased’s identity.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.TMZ was also told that there was no foul play involved, and their sources said first-responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest.Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Matthew Perryalmost didn’t get the chance to play Chandler Bing onFriends.
The actor — who reportedlydiedat age 54 on Saturday — recalled nearly missing out on the opportunity to be part of the NBC comedy during a 2015 appearance onLate Night With Seth Meyers. Perry recalled becoming desperate for work in 1994 after his “terrible” manager told him he had “no money.”
“This happened to be the year thatFriendswas shot, but I was off the market because I had taken a job on a pilot calledLAX 2194that was about baggage handlers at L.A. Airport in the year 2194,” he explained.
Matthew Perry on ‘Friends’.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
“So I was wearing a futuristic shirt,” he added. “And little people played the aliens in which I had to sort out the aliens’ luggage and that was basically the show.”
While he was committed to the role onLAX 2194, he recalled receiving a script forFriends, adding, “It was hilarious and great.”
“There was this part that was perfect for me and it was making me crazy that I couldn’t go up for it because [of] the baggage handlers show,” he added. “I was losing my mind.”
Matthew Perry.Taylor Hill/Getty
However, his plans changed when an executive at Fox watched theLAX 2194and called it “the worst thing we’ve ever seen in our lives.”
He recalled the executive saying, “He is available. You can hire him for your little show calledFriends Like Usthat then becameFriends.”
Perry went to star alongsideJennifer Aniston,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlanc,Courteney CoxandLisa Kudrowfor 10 seasons on the NBC comedy, which ran from 1994 to 2004.
In his 2022 memoir,Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, he remembered praying for his life to change weeks before the audition forFriends.
“About three weeks before my audition forFriends, I was alone in my apartment on Sunset and Doheny, 10th floor — it was very small, but it had a great view, of course — and I was reading in the newspaper aboutCharlie Sheen,” he wrote, perInsider. “It said that Sheen was yet again in trouble for something, but I remember thinking, Why does he care — he’s famous.”
David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow on ‘Friends’.Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
“Out of nowhere, I found myself getting to my knees, closing my eyes tightly, and praying. I had never done this before,” he added. His prayer included: “God, you can do whatever you want to me. Just please make me famous.”
“Three weeks later, I got cast inFriends. And God has certainly kept his side of the bargain — but the Almighty, being the Almighty, had not forgotten the first part of that prayer as well,” he said, seemingly referring to his addiction and health struggles.
Perry wasfound deadfrom an apparent drowning at a Los Angeles-area home on Saturday,TMZreported, citing law enforcement sources.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at Perry’s address regarding the death of a male in his 50s, but would not confirm the deceased’s identity.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
TMZ was also told that there was no foul play involved, and their sources said first-responders were called to the residence for cardiac arrest.
Representatives for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
