‘Friends’ Actress Reveals Biggest Chandler Plot Twist That Matthew Perry Had Scrapped
"Friends" guest star Lisa Cash revealed that American-Canadian actor Matthew Perry - popularly known for starring as Chandler Bing on the show - did something that changed what could have been a huge plot twist in the hit American television series.
Apparently, according to the original script, Perry's character was supposed to cheat on Monica Geller, who was played by Courteney Cox. The cheating was supposed to happen after Chandler and Monica's big fight.
In the original script, Lisa Cash was supposed to be part of this controversial scene. She told TMZ that she was supposed to play the character of a woman who brings up room service to Chandler's hotel room in Vegas after his heated argument with Monica.
Chandler and her role could have hit it off by going so far as to actually cheat on Monica if Perry didn't have that scene scrapped.
"The day before we were shooting it in front of a live audience, I was told Chandler went to the writers and said the audience will never forgive them for cheating on Monica," Cash revealed.
According to Cash, after they rehearsed the scene, Perry went to the writers and told them to remove it, thinking that fans would never forgive Chandler if the cheating scene happened.
Though Cash thought co-starring with Perry would be great for her career, she also realized Perry's request to axe the cheating scene was a good move for the show.
While Cash's original role was removed, she ended up as a flight attendant in a scene featuring Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston).
With Cash's revelation on TMZ, fans commended Perry's move as a great decision for Chandler's character and the show.
"Woah. Matthew was 100% correct. This would've been a horrible idea. Everything would've changed, and the show wouldn't have felt the same. [This is] another reason to say, 'Thank you, Matthew Perry,'" commented one user on the YouTube-uploaded interview.
"Matthew Perry was clearly a likeable and welcoming person to new characters on the show. And props to Matthew for asking the writers to remove this scene; he clearly had good discretion too despite struggling with his disease," wrote another.
"This shows Matthew saved the show. This would have been a huge mistake. The dynamic of the show would've been completely different. Good on Matthew for standing his ground," commented a third user.
"[This] shows how much Matty cared about his character and the integrity of the show and the fans," stated another.
Cash's revelation is one of the stories shared by people in the entertainment industry about Perry after he was found dead in his home last Oct. 28.
"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now, we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time, we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world," Perry's co-stars on "Friends" wrote in a joint statement.
