Mathew Perry shot down homophobic 'Friends' plot that featured Chandler sneaking into gay bar
Actor Matthew Perry reportedly refused to do a scene in the popular 1990s show 'Friends' where his character, Chandler Bing, was set to sneak into a gay bar to get his favorite sandwich, according to a new book.
Chandler, throughout the long-running show, was portrayed as a character who was suspected of being homosexual by the other characters on the sitcom.
The new book, which reveals behind-the-scenes-snippets from one of television's most popular sitcoms, has now shed some light on how Perry shut down a possibly controversial plotline.
The writers had ideated that Chandler would visit a gay bar because he liked the tuna melts they served. However, Perry was not very pleased with the plot: "Perry said no, and the story was shelved," author Saul Austerlitz said in the book titled 'Generation Friends: An Inside Look At The Show That Defined a Television Era'.
It is not clear whether Perry refused to perform the scene because of its premise or for some other reason.
Austerlitz, for his book, conducted exclusive interviews with the show's creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, director James Burrows, executive producer Kevin Bright, as well as writers and cast members. The release of the book, on September 17 this year, nearly coincided the 25th anniversary of the show's premiere on September 22, 1994.
Although the sitcom was one of the first shows to feature a same-sex wedding, 'Friends' has been criticized by LGBT groups over the way Chandler was mocked by other characters for his seemingly effeminate mannerisms.
Chandler's outlook of his transgender father, played by Kathleen Turner, has also been criticized in the recent years.
Austerlitz, in his book, also reveals that the idea of Monica, played by Courtney Cox, and Chandler dating "began as a whim" and that half the show's writers held opposing views on whether to proceed with that storyline.
"When the second season was being planned, one of the writers tossed out an idea: 'What if we get Chandler and Monica together?'," the author wrote in his book. "The thought was intended less as a permanent shift in the gravity of the series and more as a fun plot line, good for a few episodes before the status quo snapped back into place."
Despite his stardom, Perry has had a life that not many would envy. In fact, while he was still enjoying the popularity of Friends, he went through major lows in his life, that his co-stars helped him through this tough phase. From an addiction to Vicodin and alcohol abuse, he has been through the worst and come out stronger multiple times.