Death of an actor millions regarded as a friend
Fans of ‘Friends’ had an awareness of Matthew’s troubles during the show’s heyday, but it was the ‘Friends’ Reunion in 2021 which brought it into stark focus
Matthew Perry’s candid and often harrowing autobiography opens with the following lines: “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.” It sets the tone for the book, right out of the gate. Perry didn’t pull any punches in a read that zips along at a relentless pace. However, since last weekend, those words now have a desperate poignancy.
Perry, known to millions of people around the world as Chandler Bing, arguably the funniest of the six friends who made one of the most popular sitcoms of all time between 1994 and 2004, died at his home, alone and apparently in an accident. He was just 54.
Perry’s biography is called ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’ (including the Oxford comma). The big terrible thing was Perry’s lifelong addiction to alcohol and drugs. He thought fame and incredible wealth would be the antidote, the magic bullet that would cure his addiction, but the big terrible thing stalked him to the end of his days.
Fans of ‘Friends’ had an awareness of Matthew’s troubles during the show’s heyday, but it was the ‘Friends’ Reunion in 2021 which brought it into stark focus. Perry’s evident frailty overshadowed what was touted as a celebratory programme; the publishing of his memoir the following year laid bare all his problems to a worldwide audience who adored him.
It is bitterly ironic that a man who brought joy to millions around the world, who lifted the spirits of people when they were down in the dumps, couldn’t salve his own tortured soul. It was apt that Perry delivered the final words in the last episode of ‘Friends’, a killer, unscripted punchline in keeping with his wisecracking character.
Revisionism has been rife about ‘Friends’ in recent years. Looking back now, it is strange how few non-white characters there were in a sitcom set in the multicultural melting pot of New York. The 9/11 tragedy was barely acknowledged as reality wasn’t allowed to intrude on the show. Even at the time, it was remarked how ludicrous it was how six young people, most of whom didn’t have well-paying jobs, could afford two apartments in New York.
But 'Friends' was funny, hilariously, belly-achingly funny in a way that matched the other great comedies, such as ‘Frasier’ and ‘Seinfeld’, of a golden television era.
As hard as it is to believe, it has been 29 years since ‘Friends’ first aired. Yet, last Sunday, most of the Comedy Central channel’s schedule was devoted to re-runs of the show. The humour hasn’t aged. It has been a joy to watch our children, especially our daughter, laugh out loud at a programme that their parents loved in the 1990s.
For me, ‘Friends’ was never the same when Chandler and Monica became a couple; the chemistry wasn't convincing. He should have ended up with Janice, the woman with the most annoying catchphrase in sitcoms but the girlfriend who drove Chandler to some of his greatest one-liners.
Curiously, Perry didn't become a major film star but his brilliance in just three appearances in ‘The West Wing’, which earned him two Emmy nominations, showcased his talent as a straight actor. May he rest in peace.
Niall Kilroy has announced his retirement from inter-county football to much-deserved acclaim. His dedication and intelligence ensured he got the maximum from his abundant talent.
Niall played so many memorable matches but three that stand out for me are: the 2009 All-Ireland minor football quarter-final v Kerry (in which he scored 0-6), the 2012 All-Ireland U-21 B hurling final v Kildare (in which he was man of the match) and the 2017 Connacht football final. By the time he became a regular for the senior footballers, he had successfully reinvented himself from the dynamic corner-forward who lit up Croke Park in 2009.
It’s instructive that every Roscommon manager from Des Newton to Davy Burke selected Kilroy, and that he carried out each role he was given with aplomb. Kevin McStay’s deployment of Niall as a sweeper was the turning-point of the 2017 season. Through all these years, his performances for Fuerty and Tremane were of a remarkably high level.
It’s a pity the wider sporting public didn’t get to see how brilliant a hurler he was, but his achievements as a footballer ensure Niall will occupy a special place in the modern Roscommon GAA story. Best wishes to Niall in the next chapter of his life.
