Actor Matthew Perry died three weeks ago at the age of 54. Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends. The series ran in the 90s and 2000s and became a zeitgeist phenomenon that is still a crowd-puller on streaming services today.
The death of Matthew Perry caused great sadness in the world. Fans remembered the best moments of Chandler Bing, one of the most popular series characters ever.
But if fate had made even a slight change in course, Matthew Perry would probably never have played the series role of his life.
Instead of Friends: Matthew Perry already had a role in LAX 2194
In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing *, Matthew Perry describes the months that would shape the course of his life: the time when, as a young actor, he auditioned for Friends – and for several other roles.
According to Slash Film, he landed a role in the pilot for the Sci-fi sitcom LAX 2194. The series takes place at Los Angeles Airport, but in the year 2194, 200 years in the future. The story was supposed to revolve around the airport employees, who, among other things, deal with… Alien luggage have to fight around. One of the employees: Matthew Perry.
The trailer for LAX 2194 with Matthew Perry:
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The series never made it past pilot status, and for good reason. Nevertheless, she almost prevented Perry from being cast in Friends.
Why the Friends casting almost went wrong
The then 25-year-old actor was booked for LAX 2194. The futuristic ones Costumes were already tailored to himand therefore he was not allowed to accept other parts. Suddenly the script for Friends came along and with it a role that was tailor-made for Perry: Chandler Bing. “It wasn’t that I thought I could play ‘Chandler,’ I was Chandler”he writes in his book.
However, Craig Bierko, a friend of Perry’s, was initially given the role. Bierko turned down the part, to Perry’s surprise and delight.
NBC
A little time passed and the door to Friends opened again. Perry was allowed to audition after all. Because: LAX 2194 simply didn’t find any takers. The devastating verdict from then-Fox producer Dan McDermott was: “She’s terrible.”
LAX 2194 was history and Matthew Perry was free. Free to audition for Chandler Bing.
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Perry had become so infatuated with the part that he could say the lines by heart, he writes in his memoirs: “Of course, I did it.” So, despite some resistance, fate came together: the real friends found each other and made TV history.
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