Matthew Perry rose to fame in 1994, at the young age of 25 when he began his iconic appearance on Friends for 10 years.
The legacy of the character will last a lifetime, and after the show was over, he did go on to star in other shows, including the TV show, The Odd Couple. After his tragic death, a writer of the show has shared an anecdote about his role as Oscar on the brief show, and how he felt sad Perry never got a “second chance.”
Joe Keenan says Matthew Perry ‘never got the chance to do more of what he loved’
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, The Odd Couple co-writer, Joe Keenan posted a tribute to Perry with an anecdote of his time on the show.
The show ran on CBS from 2015-2017, although Keenan says “it never really took off.” In his tribute, he penned:
“I once spent a few afternoons at Matthew Perry’s house, co-rewriting the Odd Couple pilot after his first draft was nixed by CBS. At one point I said that when I was stuck on a story problem, a walk often helped me solve it. Matthew said, ‘I can’t really do that.'”
He then went on to explain how the star couldn’t go for a walk without being mobbed by fans.
“Where could he walk just to think and not be mobbed by fans? The Odd Couple never took off. Matthew was struggling and Oscar was not perhaps the best match for the ironic self-deprecation that was his greatest comic gift.
“But he was a sweet, funny, honest, vulnerable man, who wanted what everyone who enjoys huge early success does: a second act. He got one with his book and work on behalf of other addicts. But I feel sad today for myself and for everyone who loved him that he never got a chance to do more of what he did so incredibly well,” Joe concluded.
After starring in Friends, Matt also went on to land a number of roles in movies, including 17 Again, where he played the older version of Zac Efron’s character, Mike O’Donell, and most recently, Don’t Look Up.
The star was linked to his The Odd Couple co-star
Matthew Perry starred in the sitcom alongside Hollywood actress, and Gilmore Girls star, Lauren Graham. She played his ex-wife Gaby, and the two were actually linked over a decade prior to this.
Speaking about their relationship in a piece for the Daily Mail, Graham said: “The only bright spot, men-wise, was at an event where I met Matthew Perry. He became my Friend Who I Almost But Never Exactly Dated.”
In The Odd Couple fan Q&A, the Friends star called Graham “one of his favorite people.”
“She’s one of my favorite people,” he said, slightly gushing. “We have great chemistry when working together and it’s fun to work with a close friend,” he revealed.
Related Topics
MORE CELEBRITY STORIES
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmroaSuwaqwwaKrZ5ufonxzfJFsZmpoX2h9cMLUpaWeqpGXuaZ5zJqrraCVrHqxsdGrsGamlauys3nGqKtmrJiaerSxwqilnWWTna6vr8Rmn55llJrApr7Vnpto