Creator of 'Friends' wants Matthew Perry to be remembered for his legacy, not his death

For some reason, it has always stuck in my mind that Chandler delivers the final line of the series when Rachel, who didn't get on the plane, suggests they all go get coffee. In his typical sarcastic tone, Chandler asks, “Where?”

What made this simple but powerful moment even more difficult was the knowledge that Perry himself had asked to be the friend who had the last word. (Could he Be more of a Chandler?)

“Before this last episode, I had [co-creator/EP] Marta Kauffman on one page,” Perry wrote in his 2022 memoir Friends, lovers and the big, terrible thing. “'Nobody will care but me,' I said. 'So, can I hear the last lines, please?' So, as we all march out of the apartment and Rachel has suggested a final coffee, I must drop the curtain for Friends.”

If that didn't strike a chord with you, Perry's next observation certainly will.

“I love the look on Schwimmer's face when I say that line – it's the perfect mix of affection and amusement,” Perry said, “exactly what the show Friends the world had always given.”—Tierney Bricker