Matthew Perry’s death still comes as a shock more than a week after the news broke. So many fans fell in love with him as Chandler Bing on Friends — not just because of the character, but because of the actor who played him. And after his death, we’re learning more about his special connection to his character. The relationship between Chandler and Monica is one of the most beloved TV relationships of all time. And now we’re finding out that there was a moment that could have changed the course of their relationship if not for Matthew's conviction about who his character truly was.
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In season five, Chandler was reportedly supposed to cheat on Monica.
You might remember Lisa Cash from her appearance in the season five episode "The One in Vegas: Part 1," when she played a flight attendant in a scene with Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). But according to Lisa, her character was originally supposed to have a one night stand with Chandler after he had a fight with Monica about her seeing her ex-boyfriend Richard.
Matthew Perry was against the idea and let it be known.
"I came in as a guest star and I was super excited," Lisa told TMZ. "The scene was Chandler and Monica were arguing in Vegas about having lunch with Richard. Initially in our script, Chandler goes up to the hotel room, orders room service and I bring it up [to him] as a hotel worker. We end up talking and laughing and connecting and Chandler ends up cheating on Monica with my character."
Matthew Perry knew the fans would never forgive him if Chandler cheated.
Because fans loved Chandler and Monica so much, there was no way they would ever forgive him for cheating on Monica. And Matthew knew that the show would never be able to recover from such a thing. So he did what he knew had to be done: he put a stop to it right away.
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His intervention may have saved the show.
"We had rehearsed it and everything," Lisa said. "The day before we were shooting in front of a live audience, I was told that [Matthew] went to the writers and said the audience would never forgive [Chandler] for cheating on Monica. He was probably right! That would’ve changed possibly the course of the show and his character."
She said she felt 'comfortable' working with Matthew during her time on set.
Even though that scene was cut, Lisa thankfully didn’t suffer much. She also shared that it was "so neat" to work with Matthew, even after her role changed.
"He was so likable and welcoming and just made me feel at ease. I had so much fun. It was so much fun doing the scene with him and it was easy," she said.
