11 of Matthew Perry's best movie and TV roles beyond 'Friends' (2025)

• Matthew Perry, who died suddenly on Saturday, was best known for playing Chandler Bing on"Friends."
• But throughout his decades-long career, he had many other memorable TV and film roles.
• Here are 11 of his best performances, besides"Friends."

"When I die, I don't want 'Friends' to be the first thing that's mentioned," Matthew Perry said on the "Q with Tom Power" podcast in November 2022.

Above all else, Perry, who died suddenly on Saturday, wanted to be remembered as a man who helped people. He dedicated much of the end of his life to helping other addicts get sober. But throughout his decades-long career, he also helped many people by giving us the gift of laughter and entertainment on shows and movies, far beyond his iconic role as Chandler Bing on "Friends."

Here are 11 stand-out performances in Perry's career.

"Fools Rush In" (1997)

About three years into his tenure on "Friends," Perry starred alongside Salma Hayek in the romantic comedy "Fools Rush In."

Perry plays Alex, a bachelor who gets Hayek's character Isabel pregnant after a one night stand in Las Vegas. They get married and have to navigate cultural differences and survive meeting each others' parents before becoming parents themselves — all while trying to figure out if they want to live with each other forever.

"Fools Rush In" is slightly ahead of its time where representation is concerned, but Perry and Hayek's chemistry is what really makes this seemingly formulaic story shine.

"Almost Heroes" (1998)

Perry and the late Chris Farley starred together in 1998's "Almost Heroes" as Leslie Edwards and Bartholomew Hunt, respectively.

Directed by Christopher Guest, this slapstick comedy set in the early 1800s is about two explorers who race to beat Lewis & Clark to the Pacific Ocean, and don't quite make it.

Their characters may not be successful, but Farley and Perry's respective legacies as comedic geniuses are undeniable in this film.

"The Whole Nine Yards" (2000)

Perry's character Oz is a simple suburban dentist in "The Whole Nine Yards" — until infamous former hit man Jimmy Tudeski (Bruce Willis) becomes his neighbor.

Natasha Henstridge and Amanda Peet also star in the film that was popular enough to have a disastrous sequel — a right of passage for Perry in Hollywood.

"Serving Sara" (2002)

In "Serving Sara", Perry plays Joe the process server, who begins the adventure of a lifetime when he's tasked with serving legal papers to a British socialite named Sara (Elizabeth Hurley). The pair team up unexpectedly, and may just fall in love.

"Serving Sara" plays to both of Perry's strengths — absurd comedy with a bit of earnest romance sprinkled in.

"The West Wing" (2003)

Perry only appeared in three episodes of NBC's political drama "The West Wing." but his recurring role was a memorable one. He scored two Emmy nominations (one in 2003 and one in 2004) as a guest actor for his role as Joe Quincy, who showed up in the Aaron Sorkin show's fourth and fifth seasons. Joe is a Republican lawyer who becomes associate White House counsel under the Democratic Bartlet administration.

Soon after entering the White House, Joe uncovers a scandal that leads Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson) to resign.

"The Ron Clark Story" (2006)

Perry was also nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for playing the titular role in the TNT movie "The Ron Clark Story."

In the television film, which is based on a real teacher, Perry plays a southern man accustomed to a small-town environment who goes to one of the most difficult districts in the country to teach.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006-2007)

In 2006, Perry starred in the short-lived NBC series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" alongside Amanda Peet and Bradley Whitford.

The Aaron Sorkin dramedy took viewers behind the scenes of a fictional sketch-comedy show similar to "Saturday Night Live." Perry's performance as writer-turned-producer Matt Albie is considered one of his most underrated.

"Numb" (2007)

Perry plays a screenwriter named Hudson who's diagnosed with acute depersonalization disorder and tries to cure his condition when he meets the girl of his dreams. His well-received performance infuses the perfect amount of comedy and drama into this dark romantic comedy inspired by writer-director Harris Goldberg's real experience with mental illness.

"17 Again" (2009)

Perry stars alongside Zac Efron as the adult version of Mike O'Donnell in the coming-of-age fantasy-comedy "17 Again." Adult Mike is unhappy with his life until he falls down a vortex and becomes 17 again.

Honestly, there's no duo better than Perry and Efron to help us all decide if we really want to go through puberty again.

"The Good Wife" (2012-2013) and "The Good Fight" (2017)

Perry plays a Republican lawyer on "The Good Wife" seasons three and four. Like his role on "The West Wing," his turn as Mike Kresteva is a guest-starring spot.

But who could forget the man who tries to blackmail Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and then tries to run against her husband for governor?

Perry reprised his role in the spinoff "The Good Fight" in 2017.

"The Odd Couple" (2015- 2017)

There is no better casting than Perry as the notoriously messy and cavalier roommate Oscar Madison in the 2015 remake of the classic 1970s sitcom "The Odd Couple," which itself was based on a 1965 Neil Simon play of the same name.

He starred alongside Thomas Lennon's Felix Unger on all 38 episodes of the show's three seasons before it was canceled.