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When the creators of Friends were casting their six stars, the character of Chandler Bing, the one with the jokes, proved among the trickiest. They weren’t sure he was written well enough.

And then in walked Matthew Perry.

“Matthew came in and you went, ‘Oh, well, there you go. Done. Done. That’s the guy’,” David Crane told the Today show in 2019. “When Matthew reads the dialogue, it sparkles,” said Marta Kauffman in the 2021 reunion special. “This was the only guy to play him.”

Cast of Friends
Matthew Perry with Friends co-stars Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston
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The one where Chandler married Monica

With impeccable comic timing and the distinctive speech patterns that made Chandler unique, Perry created Friends‘ most quotable character, never failing to nail a punchline. But he also brought warmth, charm and depth to a role that in the wrong hands could have been far less likeable.

The dry humour was often a cover for insecurities and awkwardness, his wisecracks often at his own expense. In real life, he suffered from similar afflictions. Hidden from the public’s view during much of the original run of the show was his struggle with addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, which he detailed in his memoir, Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing, published just last year.

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” he wrote in the opening.

Born in Massachusetts, Perry grew up in Ottawa, Canada, after his mother, a journalist who once served as press secretary to former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, divorced his father and married a Canadian broadcast personality.

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As a child, he became a top-ranked junior tennis player before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting and improvisational comedy.

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Cast of Friends watch ‘Friends’ on set

When Friends was in the works, Perry was under contract to star in another new series, about luggage handlers working at Los Angeles Airport in the year 2194. But the Friends creators knew they had to have him. It is impossible to imagine Chandler played by anyone else.

“It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life,” said Perry of his character. “It wasn’t that I thought I could play Chandler; I was Chandler.”

When the futuristic airport show failed to make it off the ground, he joined the series that would change his life.

Perry, along with co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actors. Relative unknowns before the show launched in 1994, their rise to fame was meteoric; each star reportedly earned $1m per episode at the height of the show’s popularity.

The cast of Friends at the 54th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in 2002: (L-R) David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc
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The Friends stars at the Emmys in 2002: (L-R) David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc

Like all the best ideas, the premise was simple: a close-knit group of young adults who shared space in one another’s apartments and met for coffee at Central Perk, a fictional Manhattan cafe. It was real life.

One of Chandler’s major storylines involved his initially clandestine romance with Monica (Cox), which the four other friends – Rachel (Aniston), Phoebe (Kudrow), Joey (LeBlanc) and Ross (Schwimmer) – each discovered one by one. The One Where Everybody Finds Out is one of the show’s greatest episodes.

By the time it came to an end after 10 seasons, Chandler and Monica were married, about to start parenthood, reflecting the journey of the group of friends from single New Yorkers to serious relationships and starting families.

Friends: The Reunion sees the cast back together on screen for the first time in 17 years. Pic: Sky/ Warner Media/ HBO
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Friends: The Reunion saw the cast back together on screen for the first time in 17 years. Pic: Sky/ Warner Media/ HBO

Friends remains one of the biggest TV hits of all time and has taken on a new life – and found surprising popularity with younger fans – in recent years on streaming services. Perry received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Chandler and two more for appearances as associate White House counsel Joe Quincy in The West Wing.

His TV work also included the short-lived Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip – written by The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin – while he starred in several films including Fools Rush In opposite Salma Hayek and his father John, 17 Again, and The Whole Nine Yards alongside Bruce Willis.

However, like his five co-stars, Perry will always be remembered for Friends. It was the show that made him – but with its success also came great pressure, which hit him the hardest. Aniston once described him as “one of the most sensitive people I’ve ever met”.

FILE - Matthew Perry arrives at the premiere of "The Invention of Lying" in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 2009. Perry turns 53 on Aug. 19. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
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Pic: AP

“Friends was huge,” Perry wrote in his memoir. “I couldn’t jeopardise that. I loved the script. I loved my co-actors … I loved everything about the show but I was struggling with my addictions which only added to my sense of shame.

“I had a secret and no one could know.

“I felt like I was gonna die if the live audience didn’t laugh, and that’s not healthy for sure. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions…

“If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get I would freak out. I felt that every single night. This pressure left me in a bad place. I also knew of the six people making that show, only one of them was sick.”

He also recounted how he had to be driven back to rehab right after shooting the episode of Chandler and Monica’s wedding. But when the book came out, he seemed to have overcome his demons, announcing at the time that he had been clean and sober for 18 months.

Following his sudden death at the age of 54, there will be thousands of clips shared across social media in the coming days, remembering Perry as Chandler (forgive the non-official titles here): The One Where No One Knew What He Did For A Living. The One With Julia Roberts. All The Ones With Janice. The One Where He Almost Fake-Kissed Phoebe. The One With The Nubbin. The One In The Box. The One With The Shark Porn. The One With The Mr T Bracelet. The One With The Proposal. The One With The Almost Wedding. The One With The Actual Wedding. The One Where They Said Goodbye.

There are too many to list.

Friends was a series greater than the sum of its brilliant parts, thanks to the chemistry between its stars. Each brought something unique, and Perry was the sarcastic, comic beat of the show.

“Matthew is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Kudrow said of her co-star in 2002. “Most of our hard laughs came from Matthew.” He was a “true gift” to comedy, as he has been described in tributes, whose “legacy will live on through countless generations”.

He was the one who made everyone laugh.

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Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with two counts of rape

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Top Boy actor Micheal Ward charged with two counts of rape

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward has been charged with two counts of rape and is due to appear in court next month.

Ward, 27, has also been charged with two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

The offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.

“Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward – we know investigations of this nature can have a significant impact on those who make reports,” said Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met Police’s investigation.

Ward at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 15 July. Pic: PA
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Ward at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 15 July during a press call for his upcoming film Eddington. Pic: PA

Ward, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 28 August, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Ward said he denies the charges of rape and sexual assault, adding in a statement: “I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared.”

In a statement, Catherine Baccas, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial.

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“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”

Ward has been charged with rape and sexual assault. He is pictured in October 2023. Pic: PA
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Michael Ward has been charged with rape and sexual assault. He is pictured in October 2023. Pic: PA

Ward starred in the popular Netflix series Top Boy as Jamie. He also appeared in films like Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire of Light.

In 2020, the Jamaican-born actor was awarded the Bafta Rising Star honour in 2020.

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He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Bafta in 2021 for his role as Franklyn in the BBC series Small Axe, and 2022 for his performance as Stephen in Empire of Light.

Ward is also in the upcoming American film Eddington alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, which is set to be released in the UK next month.

Ward is pictured during the opening night of A View From The Bridge at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London in June 2024. Pic: PA
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Ward is pictured during the opening night of A View From The Bridge at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London in June 2024. Pic: PA

He has more than a million followers on Instagram and participated in charity events like the Soccer Aid match at Stamford Bridge last year.

Ward gave a reading at the Christmas Eve carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales in 2023.

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Kelly Osbourne pays tribute to ‘best friend’ Ozzy – in first comments since his death

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Kelly Osbourne pays tribute to 'best friend' Ozzy - in first comments since his death

Kelly Osbourne has commented on the death of her father Ozzy Osbourne for the first time since he died on Tuesday.

The figurehead of heavy metal died aged 76, just a few weeks after performing a huge farewell show with his Black Sabbath bandmates in Birmingham, where the band was formed in 1968.

After the show, Kelly got engaged to her longtime partner and musician Sid Wilson, of the band Slipknot, after he got down on one knee backstage.

After the frontman passed away on Tuesday, the Osbourne family released a joint statement that read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”

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The life of Ozzy Osbourne

In her first comments since losing her father, Kelly wrote on Instagram: “I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,” followed by a broken heart emoji.

She was quoting lyrics from the 1972 Black Sabbath song Changes.

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The father and daughter were famously close, appearing on The Osbournes reality TV show together and covering the song Changes as a duet in 2003.

“That song stands for so much in our family and to me and Dad,” Kelly said on the TV show Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, starring her brother, Jack.

“It was not only both of our first number one [single] in the UK, it represented a time in my life and a time in Dad’s life, it represented our relationship and how much we loved each other.”

Black Sabbath are widely credited with having invented heavy metal, but the piano ballad Changes widely deviated from their usual guitar and drum-heavy style.

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Coldplay dedicates Nashville concert to Ozzy Osbourne

The band Coldplay also used the song to pay tribute to Ozzy this week, playing a stripped back, short version of Changes in a show in Nashville, Tennessee.

After the song, frontman Chris Martin said: “Ozzy, we love you, wherever you’re going.”

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Riverdance star Michael Flatley to make bid for Irish presidency, court hears

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Riverdance star Michael Flatley to make bid for Irish presidency, court hears

Riverdance star Michael Flatley is hoping to become Ireland’s next president, a court has heard.

The revelation came out in a legal case over work done on his mansion in County Cork, the Castlehyde.

Barrister Ronnie Hudson said there had been a “material change in circumstances” for Flatley and he’s set to move back to Ireland in the next two weeks in the hope of running in autumn’s election.

A legal statement signed by the star’s solicitor, Maxwell Mooney, was also submitted to the High Court stating Flatley would “seek nominations to run for president of Ireland”.

Flatley rose to fame when Riverdance, which features traditional Irish music and dance, became a phenomenon in the 1990s and went on to tour the world. It continues to be performed today.

The choreographer and dancer also created and starred in Lord Of The Dance.

The 67-year-old – who currently lives in Monaco – strongly hinted at a presidential bid last week, but said he hadn’t made a final decision.

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He told a radio interview he didn’t think the Irish people had a “true proper deep voice that speaks their language”.

Flatley said the “average person on the street” is unhappy with the status quo and “somebody has to speak for the Irish people”.

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The role of president in Ireland is largely ceremonial and is currently held by Michael D Higgins, whose term ends on 11 November.

The election is expected to take place at the end of October.

A candidate needs nominations from at least 20 members of the Irish parliament or at least four local authorities.

Those who’ve already met the criteria are former farming journalist and EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness, and former Galway mayor Catherine Connolly.

Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor is among others who have also hinted they might run – although the prospect was universally rejected by other politicians in Ireland.

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