Tom Selleck Shares Fond ‘Friends’ Memory, Honors the Talents of Matthew Perry
Tom Selleck Remembers the Challenge of Channeling Matthew Perry on “Friends”
Tom Selleck understands just how challenging it was to portray Matthew Perry’s iconic Chandler Bing on “Friends.” During a memorable episode, Selleck’s character, ophthalmologist Richard Burke, had to mimic the comedic style of Chandler and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc).
“We had this role reversal dynamic where Richard tried to be like them, and they tried to be like me,” Selleck explained to USA TODAY.
He struggled to master Perry’s signature sarcastic delivery, particularly for a line about Richard’s impressive foosball skills: “Could that shot be any prettier?” “Matthew had a unique speech pattern that I hadn’t realized before,” Selleck admitted. To capture it, he frequently turned to Perry for guidance. “Matt would say, ‘It’s a joke, Tom. It’s all in the delivery.’ I kept asking him, ‘Can you say it again?’ and he would,” Selleck recalled. “That was his hallmark.”
Selleck first appeared on “Friends” in Season 2 as the charming eye doctor who was two decades older than his love interest, Monica Geller (Courteney Cox). Interestingly, his friendship with Perry’s father, actor John Bennett Perry, helped him feel at home within the tight-knit cast. “Everyone was incredibly welcoming,” he said. “I would check in with Matthew daily and ask, ‘How’s your father?’ We would share smiles and catch up. I met John when I was a young actor, and we became close friends.”
Portraying Richard in nine episodes from 1995 to 2000, Selleck particularly cherishes the Season 2 episode “The One Where Old Yeller Dies,” where Richard starts to emulate Chandler and Joey—and vice versa. He remembers laughing alongside the studio audience as Joey and Chandler parodied him, with Joey admiring his cigar pose and Chandler attempting a comical imitation of Selleck’s mustache.
“When Perry walked onto the set, it was a moment that brought the house down,” Selleck said, effortlessly delivering Richard’s later line: “Nice mustache, by the way. When puberty hits, that thing’s really going to kick in.”
Selleck commended Perry’s acting abilities, saying, “He was pure talent. It’s easy to say now that he’s gone, but it’s the truth. I think he was the most talented in an incredibly talented group.”
Selleck was moved to receive an invitation to a private memorial service for Perry in Los Angeles, which was attended by the “Friends” cast. However, due to his shooting schedule for “Blue Bloods” in New York, he was unable to attend.
He emphasized the genuine camaraderie among the “Friends” cast: “There are no bad stories. No egos. Just a great atmosphere. You’d see Courteney sitting on someone’s lap one moment, and then another’s the next. They all got along famously. Many of them had experienced failures in past shows, and now they were part of a hit. They knew how fortunate they were.”
