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Matthew Perry’s sudden death on Saturday, October 28, 2023, shocked the world. His cause of death was reported as drowning in a Jacuzzi at his Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles residence, as per multiple publications. The LAPD is probing further into the matter, even though they have ruled out foul play. Perry was 54 at the time of his death.
Matthew Perry's brilliance as an actor was captured in every frame of Friends, where he portrayed the snarky and smart Chandler Bing. But, he was much more than that as a performer.
Matthew Perry acted in several movies, TV shows, and miniseries, among others, before, during, and after his stint on the mammoth hit NBC sitcom. This article takes a look at Perry’s five such memorable movie roles.
Fools Rush In to 17 Again: Matthew Perry's acting caliber sparkles in all
1) Fools Rush In (1997): Available on Amazon, YouTube, and Tubi
Salma Hayek Pinault, in her tribute to Matthew Perry, mentioned their film together, Fools Rush In, writing on Instagram that she “will continue to cherish your silliness, your perseverance, and your lovely heart.”On the other hand, Perry, in his memoir, titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, wrote how the film was “probably my best.”
Fools Rush In featured Perry's character impregnating Hayek’s character, Mexican-American photographer named Isabel Fuentes Whitman, after a one-night stand. After the former learns about this, they get married out of whim.
He then has to decide between moving to New York versus living in Las Vegas.
2) The Whole Nine Yards (2000): Available on Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube
The film was a massive hit at the commercial window even though critical reviews were mixed. Matthew Perry's execution as Dr. Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky and his sequences with Bruce Willis’ hitman James Stefan "Jimmy The Tulip" Tudeski were loved by all. The film is about what happens when their worlds collide.
A sequel came out in 2004, titled The Whole Ten Yards, which bombed at the box office and also received discouraging reviews.
3) Serving Sara (2002): Available on Apple TV, Hoopla, and Starz
The romantic comedy had Perry and Elizabeth Hurley playing love interests. Notably, the film’s production was stalled for three months as Matthew Perry was battling his addiction, a fact which the actor admitted in his memoir.
In the film, Sara (Hurley), a British socialite, is served divorce papers when she’s in New York. Determined to not suffer financial loss as a result, she embarks on a trip with her process server, Joe (Perry).
4) The Ron Clark Story (2006): Available on Peacock, Roku, and Freevee
A TNT television film, The Ron Clark Story, took Matthew Perry away from his known turf, but he didn’t disappoint.
Based on the real-life educator Ron Clark, it’s about the idealistic teacher, who leaves his small North Carolina hometown to teach in Inner Harlem Elementary School, a New York City-based public school. How he combats the trouble from the students forms the crux of the story.
For his performance, Perry got several nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. The actor also won a Gold Derby Award for the Randa Haines directorial.
5) 17 Again (2009): Available on Amazon, TNT, and truTV
A commercial success, 17 Again is one of Perry's last film outings. In this teen fantasy comedy, Perry plays Mike O'Donnell, who goes back to being a teenager (portrayed by Zac Efron) to change his past for the future he wanted.
But in the end, he ends up jeopardizing his prospects. How he manages to strike a balance between the two is the gist of the Burr Steers directorial.
Critics hailed this among Matthew Perry's underrated performances and as per Germain Lussier of Gizmodo it "makes the film soar."
In other news, preliminary tests reportedly did not show an overdose of fentanyl or meth in Matthew Perry’s system. Right now, the cause of death has been stated as "deferred" and remains a mystery.
