Former ‘Friends’ actor says Matthew Perry dropped plan for Chandler to cheat on Monica
“I was told that [he] went to the writers and said the audience would never forgive him for cheating on Monica, which he was probably right about,” said actress Lisa Cash, who appeared in the season five episode “The One in Vegas: Part 1.”
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
“The One with the Truth About London” Episode 16 – Broadcast on February 22, 2001 – Pictured: (lr) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing.
“The One Where Chandler Cheated” – it’s almost like that FriendThe episode went.
Actress Lisa Cash, who appeared in the show’s fifth season episode “The One in Vegas: Part 1,” revealed that she was originally part of a storyline in which Matthew PerryChandler Bing’s character cheated Courteney CoxThis is Monica Geller. But the storyline was ultimately scrapped because Perry spoke out.
“Basically it was the scene where Chandler and Monica were arguing [Las] Vegas…Chandler goes into the hotel room, orders room service and I mention it as a hotel employee,” Cash said TMZ. “And we end up talking and laughing and bonding, and then Chandler ends up cheating on Monica with my character.”
Cash said they “rehearsed it and everything.” But the day before the planned shoot in front of a live audience, Perry asked for a change in the storyline.
NBC/Getty Images
Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing sits on the couch with Courteney Cox as Monica Geller.
Related: Friends Director on why Matthew Perry created the ‘perfect’ Chandler Bing: ‘He was inventive’
“I was told that [he] “went to the writers and said the audience would never forgive him for cheating on Monica, which he was probably right about,” Cash explained. “That might have changed the course of the show and his character.”
Friends Creator Martha Kauffman And David Crane did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the incident and whether the storyline had been changed.
Cash said that since the storyline was changed, she instead appeared in the same episode as Rachel Green’s flight attendant (Jennifer Aniston) and Ross Gellers (David Schwimmer) Flight. However, she remembered how “neat” it was to work one-on-one with Perry.
Danny Feld/NBCU Photobank
Pictured: (lr) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller-Bing in “The One With Monica And Chandler’s Wedding”.
“I came in and was new to the industry. And it could have been really intimidating for me to… have a scene with Matthew Perry, but I felt so comfortable,” she noted.
“He was really personable and welcoming and just made me feel comfortable and fun, you know,” she added. “It was really fun to shoot the scene with him and it was easy to shoot the scene with him.”
Related: Attending Matthew Perry’s funeral Friends Costars following the actor’s unexpected death
Perry was found dead on Oct. 28 at age 54 at his home in the Los Angeles area. Sources reported TMZ that first responders were called to the apartment for a cardiac arrest and no illegal drugs were found at the scene.
In addition, the outlet received audio recordings from the 911 emergency number that mentioned “drowning.”
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Pictured: (lr) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt Le Blanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay.
After his death his Friends Co-Stars – Aniston, Cox, Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow And Matt LeBlanc — responded to the news in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, saying, “We are all so completely devastated through the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but for now we will take a moment to grieve and process this incredible loss.”
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Kauffman and Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright, also issued a joint statement. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the death of our beloved friend Matthew,” they wrote. “It still seems impossible. That’s all we can say We feel blessed to have had him in our lives. He was a brilliant talent.”
The statement from Kaufman, Crane and Bright concluded: “We will always cherish the joy, light and dazzling intelligence that he brought to every moment – not only to his work but to life.” He was always the funniest person in the room. Furthermore, he was the sweetest, with a generous and selfless heart.
PEOPLE confirmed that Perry was laid to rest on Nov. 3 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles near Warner Bros. Studios. All five of him Friends Co-stars were in attendance at the service, which took place almost a week after his death.
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