Matthew Perry almost lost his Chandler role in 'Friends' for THIS reason

Matthew Perry, whose sudden death at 54 left his fans grieving, has missed the chance of the audition that ultimately launched him into stardom as Chandler Bing on the renowned sitcom Friends.

During a 2015 appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the 54-year-old reminisced about how close he came to missing out on the chance to be a part of the NBC comedy.

In 1994, Perry remembered feeling a sense of urgency to find employment, as his manager, whom he described as awful, informed him that he was completely broke.

The 17 Again star said, “This happened to be the year that Friends was shot, but I was off the market because I had taken a job on a pilot called LAX 2194 that was about baggage handlers at L.A. Airport in the year 2194.”

He continued, “So I was wearing a futuristic shirt,” adding “And little people played the aliens in which I had to sort out the aliens’ luggage and that was basically the show.”

Although he had already accepted the role in LAX 2194, he remembered being sent a script for Friends and remarked, “It was hilarious and great."

Perry went on to say, “There was this part that was perfect for me and it was making me crazy that I couldn't go up for it because [of] the baggage handlers show,” continuing, “I was losing my mind.”

Nonetheless, his intentions took a different course when a Fox executive viewed LAX 2194 and described it as, “the worst thing we've ever seen in our lives.”

The Numb star reflected on the executive saying, “He is available. You can hire him for your little show called Friends Like Us that then became Friends.”

Perry found himself sharing the spotlight with Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow for an entire decade during their tenure on the NBC comedy series, spanning from 1994 to 2004.

In his memoir published in 2022, titled Friends, Romances, and the Monumental Turning Point, he also recalled a pivotal moment from weeks prior to his Friends audition when he fervently wished for a transformative shift in his life.

Matthew Perry's shocking death:

It is pertinent to mention that TMZ, citing information from law enforcement sources, reported that Perry was discovered dead due to a reportedly drowning at a residence in the Los Angeles area on a Saturday.