John Stamos revealed on Instagram in the wake of Matthew Perry‘s death that the late “Friends” star came to his aid during an embarrassing trip to the set of the NBC sitcom. Stamos made a surprise cameo on “Friends” in 2003 during the show’s ninth season. He played Zach, Chandler’s co-worker who is courted to be a potential sperm donor for Monica and Chandler. The couple invite Zach over to their apartment for dinner to assess his physical and emotional attributes.
“Matthew and I had been friendly long before ‘Friends,’ so when I guest starred as Zach, the prospective sperm donor for Chandler and Monica, I hung with him a lot,” Stamos remembered about filming the episode. “Standing backstage, ready to make my entrance, Matt whispers, ‘The audience is going go crazy when they see you! Get ready for some loud screams.’ I walk through the door… silence. I was so embarrassed.”
Stamos has talked about this embarrassing “Friends” experience before, but what he hasn’t shared until now is that Perry heroically came to his support by hyping up the crowd in Stamos’ favor.
“We finish the scene and as I start to slither back to my dressing room and quit showbiz, Matt walks over to the studio audience,” Stamos continued, revealing that Perry told the crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn’t recognize him at first because he’s so much better looking in person!”
“I never forgot that and the world will never forget you,” Stamos concluded about Perry’s passing.
Perry passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 28 at 54 years old. The cause of his death has yet to be revealed. He was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, according to law enforcement. There was no signs of foul play or drugs on the scene.
As an actor, Perry gained international recognition for his role as the wry, fast-on-his-feet Chandler on “Friends,” which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. His sitcom co-stars released a joint statement in the aftermath of his death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. 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,” Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer wrote in a statement. “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.”
Many of Perry’s scene partners on the show such as Stamos also paid tribute. Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Janice on the first four seasons of “Friends,” took to Instagram to write, “What a loss. The world will miss you Mathew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.”
Read Stamos’ full remembrance to Perry and watch his brief “Friends” cameo in the post below.
