The One That Almost Changed Everything: How Matthew Perry Saved Monica And Chandler On "Friends"

How Matthew Perry Protected Monica And Chandler's Relationship

In the original script for the episode, Lisa's character (a hotel worker) brings room service to Chandler's room after his fight with Monica about her ex Richard. "Initially in our script, Chandler goes up to the hotel room, orders room service and I bring it up as a hotel worker," she tells TMZ. "[Our characters] end up talking and laughing and connecting and Chandler ends up cheating on Monica with my character.”

However, the day before they were supposed to film in front of the live audience, things changed. And in my opinion, that change was definitely for the better! “I was told that [Matthew Perry] went to the writers and said the audience would never forgive [Chandler] for cheating on Monica. He was probably right! That would’ve changed possibly the course of the show, and of his character.”

Chandler might have been one of the sillier members of the friend group, but I am personally so glad they changed this detail! Not only would it have changed the dynamic between Monica and Chandler, but the whole group would have never been the same. Plus, this shows how much Matthew understood the character of Chandler — and what the audience wanted.

Lisa Cash goes on to talk about how "welcoming" Matthew was, and how much he set her at ease as she came into this huge, established show. "It was just really fun doing the scene with him and it was easy doing the scene with him, too...And that was just such a tribute to him for making me feel comfortable with him."

She also promises that he was just as funny in person as he is onscreen, and fondly remembers watching him prep for the episode. "I got to see him do the lines before...he would improv and just change it. He was so quick and talented, and so funny. We'd just be dying [laughing] listening to all the dialogue that he was doing and the physical acting that he did too, it was just really hilarious."