Top 10 Times Matthew Perry Broke the Friends Cast

Top 10 Times Matthew Perry Sabotaged a Scene on Friends

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for moments when Matthew Perry took any extra opportunity to make his castmates - and us - laugh.

#10: “You Gotta See This One”
“The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth’s Dad”

For whatever reason, guys seem to have an obsession with the size of certain things. Apparently Matthew Perry is no exception. On at least two separate occasions, Perry can be heard beckoning Monica to come see what he’s just deposited in the bathroom. It’s certainly not something that they would ever air as part of an episode of the show. But, for the actors, and the live studio audience, it’s certainly a fun opportunity to give a few extra laughs. And, no Chandler, we don’t need to see it, thanks.

#9: Falling for Rachel
“The One in Barbados”

Say what you want about the Joey and Rachel romance, but it did give us a great little blooper courtesy of our favorite sarcastic Friend. The scene involved Joey leaning on Rachel’s door in the hallway after learning she has feelings for him. Rachel opens the door and Joey falls to the floor. Well known for inserting himself into scenes he’s not part of, Perry stands at the door and “falls” as Rachel opens the door, causing everyone to break the scene. It’s a cute little blooper that shows just how much of a prankster Perry could really be.

#8: “Have You Looked in the Mirror?”
“The One with Rachel’s Phone Number”

For a short period of time, Chandler and Monica had to work through a long distance relationship as Chandler had accepted a job in Tulsa. So when he came home on weekends, they naturally wanted to spend as much time as they could together. Hoping for some “private time” alone, Chandler secretly flies home and lies to Joey about it. This leads to an entire plot around Joey thinking Monica is cheating because of how she’s dressed. When she tells Chandler that Joey thinks she’s a… let’s say a promiscuous woman, Perry retorts, “Have you looked in the mirror?” His joke is met by both laughs and some somber “ohhhhs” from the audience.

#7: Putting Out Fire
“The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie”

In some ways, we think this episode should have been called, “The One Where Monica Fires Joey”. Upset that her coworkers don’t take her seriously, Monica hires Joey for the purposes of firing him in front of everyone to show them who’s boss. The scheme ultimately works, but not before Perry once again inserts himself into a scene he’s not in. Monica’s uniform is supposed to catch fire slightly, which Joey pats out with his hand on one side of her chest. Perry runs in from off-camera and playfully pats out the other side of her uniform, before ducking out back behind frame. It’s a funny bit that also shows us how comfortable these actors are with each other.

#6: At the Camera
“The One with the Cake”

The “fourth wall” is a term used in television and film that refers to an imaginary barrier that exists between the scene unfolding in a play, movie, or episode, and the audience watching. The characters never look beyond this wall, because they’re not supposed to know they’re being watched by an audience. In this clip, Courtney Cox accidentally looks directly at the camera and then realizes her mistake. When they do the next take, Matthew Perry amplifies her mistake purposefully which brings a pile of laughs, and even another blooper featuring Matt LeBlanc doing something similar.

#5: Somber Boys
“The One with the Morning After”

Directors often have a vision for a particular scene or episode, and offer notes to the actors in order to try and fulfill that vision. During one scene in season three’s “The One with the Morning After”, Joey & Chandler barge into Monica’s bedroom in a panic when they hear screaming. In the gag reel, immediately following that take, we hear the director ask the two boys to dial it back a little. So when they call action and the boys enter, Perry and LeBlanc come in all somber and calm asking the girls what happened. We can’t imagine what it was like directing these goofballs.

#4: Bingo Bango
“The One in Barbados”

Remember when Monica and Mike had their ping-pong competition in Barbados? Well, it turns out, there were all kinds of bloopers during that scene. Courtney Cox tripped up a few times, including a moment where she yells out “BAH” as she’s supposed to hit a ball. She realizes her mistake and they go to do another take. This of course opens the door for Matthew Perry to step in for his own laughs. As they call action and Monica swings, Perry blurts out some gibberish which of course ruins the take. It gets even better the next time, when Cox accidentally throws her paddle.

#3: Huge
“The One Where Chandler Gets Caught”

The decision for Chandler and Monica to purchase a home to raise their kids outside the city was one that came as a surprise to all of us. As the two discuss whether or not to buy the home, they both recognize how big of a decision it is, and how it’s going to affect their friends. The conversation audiences saw had Monica saying “This is huge”. In an outtake for the scene, though, she accidentally says, “It’s huge” which was the perfect cue for Matthew Perry to allude to something else. It’s yet another great example of Perry’s unmatched improv ability.

#2: “We Know Already”
“The One with the Morning After”

After having been trapped in Monica’s bedroom while Ross and Rachel fight over whether they were “on a break”, Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler are getting hungry. In a cut scene from the episode, Courtney Cox has a line where she tells everyone she has chocolate bars in her purse, in the kitchen. She does the line several times, but keeps getting asked to do it again. When she says the line one last time, Perry chimes in with one of his signature sarcastic quips. Since the final edit of the episode excluded this scene, we’re guessing they never did get it right.

#1: Joey’s Fall
“The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies”

Joey finally gets his big break and is featured in an issue of “Soap Opera Digest”. Ever so excited to show someone, he bursts into Central Perk and shows it off to Phoebe. But, Matt LeBlanc struggled to get the scene right several times. On one occasion, he straight up faceplants. On another, he looks at his mark on the floor. By the time he finally gets to his chair, it falls over. As highlighted in the “Friends: The Reunion” special, Matthew Perry wasn’t even in the scene, but mocked his costar’s failures by crashing the scene that might have finally been LeBlanc’s good take. It’s pure comedy gold which we’re so thankful to be able to see behind the scenes.

Which is your all time favorite “Friends” blooper? Let us know in the comments.