Minnie Driver Reflected On How Matthew Perry Compared To Chandler Bing

In the two months since Matthew Perry’s death, his friends and former co-stars have slowly been finding the words to express their loss. Minnie Driver shared her memories in a beautiful tribute in The Guardian on Dec. 18. Recalling their time starring in the 2003 play Sexual Perversity in Chicago and their ensuing friendship, she reflected on his “wealth of soul,” the impact Friends had on him, and how he compared to his beloved character Chandler Bing.

A Summer Away From Friends

Perry was on break before the final season of Friends when he starred alongside Driver in the London production. The two had met before at events in Hollywood, she recalled, but they truly bonded after she invited him for lunch with his family before the play’s rehearsals began. They would eat ice cream together in Hyde Park, watch Wimbledon tennis matches, and she even brought him to a friend’s wedding.

“He was the most self-deprecating person and really kind,” Driver said. “Anyone who asked him for help, he would help.”

Explaining he was “loving exploring this world outside Friends,” she noted that he was somewhat pigeon-holed by his role on the hit sitcom. “Part of Matthew’s inner struggle was that he was so closely identified with a role that was also beloved to him — one that he was so good at,” she said. “But it also held him in a specific place, so it felt like a tug of war.”

Driver said he was in “a good place” during the play, and it was hard for her to read his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, and learn about “how much he suffered.” Despite his pain, “he was like a light,” she added, and was even more wonderful than Chandler Bing.

“Everything that we loved about Chandler was in there in Matthew, but it was just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

Tributes From Friends

Driver’s tribute is one of countless homages to Perry from fans, co-stars, and friends ones since his death on Oct. 28. Several Friends cast members and guest stars reacted to his loss shortly after it was first reported, but his fellow stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc initially held off. They released a joint statement via People on Oct. 30 that said they were “utterly devastated” and would “take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

Later, on Nov. 14, Cox and LeBlanc broke their silence, and Aniston, Schwimmer, and Kudrow’s came in the days following. “You had heart,” Schwimmer wrote in his, in part. “Which you were generous with, and shared with us, so we could create a family out of six strangers.”

If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).