“I can't handle it”: When Matthew Perry revealed why he freaked out while filming Friends

During HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion special episode, Matthew Perry, who plays Chandler Bing in the evergreen show Friends, revealed how there was a point when he was like, "I can't handle it." As per a report by People Magazine, Matthew's reaction was in response to performing in front of a live audience. The actor stated,

"Because I was like, ‘Somebody’s getting a laugh, I can’t handle it — I need to get a laugh too.’"

He elaborated that it was anxiety-inducing, and he always felt the burden of making people laugh. He admitted that if the audience didn't laugh at his jokes, he would become extremely distressed, feeling as though he was "going to die."

The reunion special episode streamed on HBO Max also featured other stars from Friends, including Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer. Read on to know more about what Matthew Perry said about his character and performing in Friends.

Here is what Matthew Perry said in the Friends Reunion special

When Matt LeBlanc shared a funny memory about tripping and having to re-shoot a scene repeatedly, which caused everyone on set to laugh, Perry said how he was unable to handle the same burden. He mentioned that it made him feel like he wanted to get more laughs too.

He further elaborated how this reaction of his was unhealthy, as it used to make him panic if he said a joke and the audience didn't laugh. Perry added,

"To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh. And it's not healthy, for sure. But I would sometimes say a line, and they wouldn't laugh, and I would sweat and just go into convulsions. If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out."

According to reports, Perry was also struggling with substance abuse during the filming of the show. It was also the reason behind his evident physical changes between seasons and possibly why his anxieties used to shoot up while performing. In a 2016 radio interview, he admitted that his memory of Friends from seasons 3 to 6 is hazy, saying, “I was a little out of it.” That time period — roughly 1997 to 2000 — was when his addiction to painkillers and alcohol was at its worst.

Perry opened up about his addiction, saying,

"Oh my goodness. I think the answer is I don’t remember three years of it. So none of those … somewhere between season 3 and 6... I couldn’t stop. Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew."

In the reunion episode, the other actors, on the other hand, shared their positive experience performing in front of a live audience.

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Chandler Bing is one of the most loving and comic characters of Friends. He is one of the most sarcastic and witty members of the group and was particularly loved for his self-deprecating humor and awkward charm.

The reunion was getting delayed due to COVID, but after 17 years, it brought the entire primary cast of the show under one roof.

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