The 7 Best Matthew Perry Projects That Aren't Friends

As he wrote in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," Matthew Perry seemed to have made peace with the fact that his life would be defined by his performance as Chandler Bing on the pop culture-shaping sitcom, "Friends." And he wasn't wrong. In the wake of his tragic, untimely passing, countless articles, retrospectives, and heartfelt essays have been written about the character of Chandler Bing. /Film's own Jacob Hall contributed one of his own, highlighting that "Chandler was the soul of 'Friends.' I knew him for 10 years of his life. I watched him grow up and fall in love. In Chandler, in Perry's performance, I saw a fully realized life." Perry's work on "Friends" is deserving of all of the praise he has received, but Perry was so much more than a sarcastic quote-machine on an extremely popular sitcom. As it turns out, the same guy who delivered lines like, "Until the age of 25, I thought the only response to 'I love you' was 'Oh, crap,'" had the chops to be the romantic lead. The same guy who took 10 seasons to finally grow up and accept adulthood could play a bitter, burnt-out professional on the cusp of a mid-life crisis. Between guest spots on television shows and a handful of impactful film performances, Matthew Perry proved he was capable of bringing characters beyond Chandler to life, and sometimes poking fun at his own legacy in the process. Here are seven of Matthew Perry's most memorable roles outside of "Friends," as chosen by some of the /Film staff.  

During the heyday of the explosive success of "Friends," Hollywood was desperate to cast "Chandler Bing types," but in the Salma Hayek co-starring "Fools Rush In," director Andy Tennant was wise enough to just cast the real thing. Matthew Perry plays a New York City real estate developer named Alex who has a salacious one-night stand in Las Vegas with a woman named Isabel (Hayek). What should have been a fun story to tell friends turns into a life-changing experience, as Isabel becomes pregnant. Now, the career bachelor must decide between his WASPy life in the Big Apple and his familial responsibilities in Las Vegas, as well as the cultural shake-up with his new, Mexican inlaws.

Perry himself considers "Fools Rush In" his best movie, and it's easy to see why. Everything about the film plays to his strengths — between physical comedy, huge romantic gestures, and longing looks at Hayek that make you wish he was looking at you in the same manner. His confession that "You are everything I never knew I always wanted. I'm not even sure what that means exactly, but I think has something to do with the rest of my life," perfectly encapsulates the "aw, shucks" demeanor that Perry played better than anyone ever has because his appeal is not that he's the hottest or coolest guy in the room, but that he's the most genuine. "Fools Rush In" understood Perry's talents as few films could. (BJ Colangelo)

For whatever reason, Matthew Perry's film career never quite took off in the aftermath of "Friends." But there is an argument to be made that we missed out on a series of two-handers with Perry and other stars who could have played against him, as evidenced by "The Whole Nine Yards." Directed by Jonathan Lynn, the 2000 dark comedy paired Perry with Bruce Willis, who was still very much in the action-hero phase of his career. Here, Willis was embracing a more understated badass, playing a calm, retired contract killer named Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski who moves in next to Perry's character Oz Oseransky, a mild-mannered dentist in an unhappy marriage.

Perry played the whole thing a bit impulsive at times — not unlike Chandler Bing — but this was by no means a rehash of what he had done on "Friends" for all those years. Seeing him play off of a guy like Willis made the movie a whole lot of fun and, at that turn of the millennium, it's hard to imagine another actor in that role. It could have been — dare I say should have been — a bridge to more similar films from Perry that would have allowed him to flex his unique acting muscles even further beyond what audiences already knew him for. This movie works because Willis was allowed to play dark, brooding, and charming while Perry did the flashier stuff that, ultimately, set the whole thing up for success. Playing against a guy like Willis isn't easy. Perry more than pulled it off. (Ryan Scott)

Matthew Perry knew how to make the most of any situation, whether he was anchoring an entire storyline in an episode of "Friends" or simply popping up for the briefest of gags in an episode of "The Simpsons." The popular animated show has recruited some of the most beloved pop culture icons to star in guest roles, putting Perry in some seriously classy company. But it takes a certain kind of self-deprecating humor and a personality utterly devoid of ego to contribute the way he did to the 2001 "Treehouse of Horror XII" episode. "The Simpsons" has always brought the goods to their annual Halloween-themed tradition, but the writers went above and beyond for the short segment where an evil smart house takes over the Simpsons' residence. Cycling through various voice options for the killer AI, they land on one for, of all people, Matthew Perry. In a recording session that must've taken all of five seconds, the actor happily provided a hilarious punchline with a sarcastic and oh-so-Chandler twist to his one and only line of dialogue in the episode: "Yeah, could I be any more of a house?"

Most sitcom stars would have sought to distance themselves from their biggest hit over the years, but Perry couldn't have been more appreciative of his star-making turn. Look no further than his willingness to return for the "Friends" reunion special in 2021. Here, he gave the people what they wanted and it couldn't have been more charming. (Jeremy Mathai)

"Scrubs" always excelled at using broad sitcom humor to deal with painful life experiences and season 4, episode 11, "My Unicorn," was no exception. The episode sees Zach Braff's hapless physician John Michael "J.D." Dorian yet again getting personally involved in his patients' lives, this time trying to convince a man named Murray Marks (Matthew Perry) to donate his kidney to his estranged father (Perry's real-life father, John Bennett Perry). Murray, in classic Matthew Perry fashion, is someone who hides their inner pain beneath a snarky, petulant exterior. In the actor's hands, you quickly get a sense of the hurt the character carries with him from the years of his father neglecting him when he was younger. That he indicates his real beef with his father is that he named him "Murray" is also a pretty funny example of projection (whether it really is an "old person's name," as Murray insists, well, that's certainly up for debate).

In an impressive feat, Perry both directs and stars in "My Unicorn," delivering an episode that blends amusingly zany scenarios (any installment of "Scrubs" in which J.D. nearly gets taken out by a model airplane is doing something right) with some genuine pathos. Whether Perry was working out some of his problems with his real-life father through the lens of a comedy TV show, I could not say. But if so, it sort of feels like the way Chandler Bing would work through his own emotional baggage, doesn't it? (Sandy Schaefer)

Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip" may have struggled to find sure-footing in recreating the sketch comedy of "Saturday Night Live," but when it came to the characters and drama behind the scenes of the titular faux late night sketch comedy show, it was just as good as any other Sorkin series. The pilot is one of the best you'll ever see on television.

Matthew Perry played Matt Albie, a former writer for the "Studio 60" sketch show who is brought back as head writer and executive producer alongside "West Wing" alum Bradley Whitford as his longtime friend Danny Tripp. The dynamic and chemistry between the pair was a standout on the short-lived series, effortlessly executing Sorkin's trademark banter. They felt like they'd really been friends for years. 

But Perry also shined on his own, especially when it comes to his character's personal reconciliation with the freshly broken but still simmering romance with "Studio 60" cast member Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson). On "Studio 60," Perry got to be funny, endearing, quick-witted, and even inspiring. Despite being a comedy writer and producer, Perry's character didn't lean into exaggerated sarcasm for laughs. He was much more subdued than he ever was on "Friends," but Perry still brought that irresistible charm everyone loves about him. 

The single 22-episode season of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" is available for purchase digitally on iTunes, Amazon, and Vudu, and it's also available on DVD. (Ethan Anderton)

In the Zac Efron-led "17 Again," Matthew Perry is the emotional center despite only bookending the film as his adult counterpart. As the miserable 37-year-old father Mike O'Donnell, he starts out in the film as an archetype of every man on the verge of a midlife crisis. After a mysterious janitor turns him back into a teenager, Efron spends the majority of the film in the driver's seat. But when Mike returns as an adult again at the end, Perry elevates the teen fantasy into a mature musing on adulthood, love, and making peace with your lot in life.

Even while donning a high school basketball jersey that's at least one size too small, Perry is mesmerizing. The regret, fear, and disappointment that tacked onto his face in the beginning have woven into his expression, becoming a part of him, but no longer weighing him down. At the same time, he looks rejuvenated, spry, and filled with optimism for the very first time. You completely believe Efron will grow into this man. Mike is still the same flawed dad at the beginning, but we can't help but fall in love with him and his determination to make amends. "You're the best decision I ever made, I just forgot" is an all-time great rom-com line, and knowing "17 Again" was filmed during a tumultuous time in Perry's personal life (and serves as his final film role), the impact of his performance is even more meaningful. (BJ Colangelo)

Throughout his career, Matthew Perry frequently specialized in playing sarcastic, lovable goofs — guys who were quick with the jab but also quick to win back your affection. But "Fallout: New Vegas," the 2010 video game that tasked players with surviving the radioactive wasteland of an alternate reality future Nevada, weaponized that trademark snark and made it deadly. Literally. As the voice of Benny, a criminal and murderer with a plan to take over the community of New Vegas, Perry was able to transform his usual trademarks into something more sinister. Benny is funny and charming and quick-witted, but the game also literally opens with him shooting your character in the middle of the desert and leaving them for dead (you get better, of course).

Perry famously landed this role after it became known that he was a fan of "Fallout 3," the previous game in the series. And since that game featured the voice of Liam Neeson, Perry found himself in pretty staggering company. It's downright fun to hear Perry simultaneously reach into his usual bag of tricks while playing against type. Benny is a "Matthew Perry type," yes, but he's a "Matthew Perry type" who is willing to murder his way across a ruined world to achieve his ends. With only a few adjustments, Perry found himself playing a villain, a memorable bad guy. I only wish he could've done so in live-action at least once. (Jacob Hall)