Matthew Perry’s portrayal wisecracking Chandler Bing on the classic sitcom “Friends” made him a star, and Bing one of the most memorable fictional New Yorkers on television.
On Sunday, a day after his unexpected death at his Los Angeles home at the age of 54, New Yorkers paid tribute to Perry as if he were one of their own, mourning his shocking loss at both the “Friends House” in Greenwich Village and the nearby “Friends Experience.”
Fans flocked to the “Friends House” at 90 Bedford St., the exterior of which was featured in the decade-long sitcom where Bing and the gang lived. The dreary weather matched the solemn mood of the friends who gathered outside. Some left notes and flowers for Perry at a makeshift memorial.
Uri Brankouski was visibly emotional as he laid down some flowers at the memorial. Brankouski grew up in Belarus, and because of “Friends,” he decided to live in New York City one day.
Tearing up, he said, “The sitcom ‘Friends’ changed my life, changed my opinion [about] friendship, for love, for life, and gave me love for this city. They will live forever because the sitcom ‘Friends’ will live forever with us.”
Devin Cates said he had to come to the memorial to pay his respect after he learned about the devastating news of Perry’s untimely death.
Cates grew up in Kentucky but was always a “New York nerd” as a kid. “Friends” inspired him to move to New York City, and Chandler always made him laugh.
“Friends was one of the shows that gave me the drive and the ambition to live in New York one day,” Cates said. “And “Friends” was one of those shows that just made me think, ‘Oh my gosh, what kind of life would that be?'”
Anushka Sarkar said she was a “big fan” of “Friends.”
“It was a shock,” Sharkar said when she heard of Perry’s death. “It was like a part of our childhood ended.”
Donna and Simon Andrews, tourists from Leed, England, said a visit to the “Friends Experience” had already been on their itinerary. However, they decided to come on Sunday because they thought the interactive set might be busier than usual because of Perry’s death.
“It’s really sad news,” Simon Andrews said. “I know he had a lot of troubles with things, but it’s really sad to hear that he is gone.”
Jennifer Jaramillo visited the experience to pay tribute to Perry.
“It was shocking. I still can’t process it,” Jaramillo said of Perry’s passing. [Friends] is one of my favorite TV shows, and [Chandler] was my favorite character. So it’s very painful.”
Dasha Johnson, 14, described Perry as a “great actor.
“[Perry] struggled with a lot of issues before his death, but it still sucks,” Dasha Johnson said.
David Johnson, Dasha’s father, said that Perry was a funny guy who gave them “a lot of good moments.” David Johnson hoped Perry was “clean and sober.”
“I imagine some people are cynical about his struggle with drugs and alcohol,” David Johnson said. “I’m not. I hope he didn’t die because of a substance.”
Perry died of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home. The exact cause of his death is not yet known.
Teresa and her friends from Plymouth, MA, had arranged plans to visit “The Friends Experience” last night, and an hour later, they learned about Perry’s death. They all were “heartbroken,” Teresas said.
“We watched [Friends] all night last night until we fell asleep,” Teresa said. “It’s sad. [Perry] was iconic. He was Chandler Bing. I’m going to keep watching him every night.”
Osob and Awo Haji-Abdi were visiting from London, and “The Friends Experience” was already on their must-sees before they learned about Perry’s death.
“We kind of grew up on him,” Osob Haji-Abdi said. “It was quite shocking because he was so young. He was part of our childhood. So it’s sad to see it ended that way for him.”
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