Nick at Nite, the nostalgic programming block broadcast by Nickelodeon, aired a Mathew Perry: Thanks for Being a Friend special yesterday (Sunday, October 29) at 10 PM ET. The special tribute was produced by Entertainment Tonight and was put together within 24 hours. After the tribute special was over, the channel also broadcasted one fan-favorite episode of Friends featuring Mathew Perry.
The late Friends star, Perry, is best known for his character Chandler Bing — who was arguably the heart of the show, as agreed by both audiences and cast members alike. The special tribute aired on Nick at Nite was 30 minutes long and featured some never-seen-before interviews with Perry, behind-the-scenes moments from the hit NBC sitcom Friends’ set, and highlights of Chandler Bing. Nickelodeon has not yet revealed if the special will be available to stream online.
The late-night broadcast block, Nick at Nite, will continue airing fan-favorite episodes of Friends that feature some of Chandler Bing’s best moments, throughout the next week, up until November 5, every day at 10 PM ET. Perry, who gained worldwide fame through his witty one-liners and heartfelt moments on Friends, passed away on Saturday, at the age of 54.
Does Matthew Perry Have an Autobiography?
Perry struggled with addiction ever since he was working on the hit sitcom Friends. However, he eventually became sober and created Perry House, a sober living facility for men. The actor has explained his life story in his memoir, which is called Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. Perry wanted to be remembered not because he starred in the hit sitcom Friends but because he would always be available for those who were struggling with addiction.
“The best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I will do that for you, even if I can’t always do it for myself.’ So I do that, wherever I can. In groups, or one on one. And I created the Perry House in Malibu, a sober-living facility for men … When I die, as far as my so-called accomplishments go, it would be nice if Friends were listed far behind the things I did to try and help other people.”
The internet had the most heart-shattering reactions after the news of his passing came on Saturday. Even the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, took to X (Twitter) to offer his condolences on the actor’s passing. The creators of Friends, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, shared a joint statement following the news of his death. The way they concluded their statement perfectly clicks with how the world mourned his unexpected passing.
“We will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment – not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. We send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.”
Shortly after, several other platforms paid tribute to the late genius comedian in their own way. Max, in particular, is honoring late Friends star Matthew Perry with a tribute card at the start of each season on their streaming platform. You can catch fan-favorite episodes of Friends featuring Perry on Nickelodeon‘s Nick at Nite.
via Collider