On October 28, 2023, the world lost one of its best friends when Matthew Perry passed away at the age of 54. The sudden, untimely tragedy has, undoubtedly, been a devastating shock to fans of his iconic performance on Friends and some of its guest stars who have spoken out about the loss, but his achievements onscreen and off go much deeper than that. Yet, the long-running sitcom is where we shall start as we list our picks for the best Matthew Perry movies and TV shows as a tribute to the joy he brought the world for so many years.
Friends (1994-2004)
A group of young, close-knit New Yorkers support each other through good times and bad.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry TV shows: While not his first major acting gig, joining the Friends cast as the charmingly sarcastic Chandler Bing is what made Matthew Perry a household name and one of the beloved sitcom actors of his time, if not all time.
Stream Friends on Max.
Buy Friends on Amazon.
Fools Rush In (1997)
When a one night stand results in pregnancy, a New York City project manager (Matthew Perry) and a Mexican-American photographer (Salma Hayek) decide to tie the knot.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: Perry and Hayek make an endearing pair in Fools Rush In — an underrated romantic-comedy movie that Roger Ebert called a “a sweet, entertaining retread of an ancient formula.”
Stream Fools Rush In on Amazon Prime.
Stream Fools Rush In on Tubi.
Almost Heroes (1998)
An aristocratic explorer (Matthew Perry) and an obnoxious, lowly frontiersman (Chris Farley) come together to compete against Lewis & Clarke in hopes of being the first to chart unexplored territory in 1800s North America.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: Also remembered as legendary SNL star Farley’s final film, Almost Heroes is a funny fusion of modern day road trip movie antics with a historical drama setting from director Christopher Guest that sees a different side of Perry’s comedic prowess.
Stream Almost Heroes on Tubi.
Rent or buy Almost Heroes on Amazon.
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
When a luckless dentist (Matthew Perry) discovers that a notorious mafia hitman turned police informant (Bruce Willis) has moved into his Montreal suburb, his wife (Rosanna Arquette) convinces him to fly to Chicago to notify the mob of his whereabouts in exchange for a reward.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: Also one of the best Bruce Willis movies, The Whole Nine Yards is one of the darker, let alone more acclaimed, comedy movies of Perry’s career and also sparked a friendship between him and his action hero co-star, who went on to be one of the best Friends guest stars.
Rent or buy The Whole Nine Yards on Amazon.
Serving Sara (2002)
After successfully delivering divorce papers to an elusive British socialite (Elizabeth Hurley), a process server (Matthew Perry) later agrees to help her exact revenge on her cheating husband, a wealthy Texas businessman (Bruce Campbell).
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: Perry and Hurley make a cute, unlikely couple in Serving Sara — a rom-com from director Reginald Hudlin.
Stream Serving Sara on Starz.
Rent or buy Serving Sara on Amazon.
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
A North Carolina-based elementary school teacher (Matthew Perry) moves to Harlem in hopes of inspiring change at a tough, inner-city school with his innovative methods.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: Perry earned his fourth of five Emmy nominations and sole Golden Globe nomination for portraying the real-life title character of The Ron Clark Story — an inspiring biopic that first premiered on TNT.
Stream The Ron Clark Story on Freevee through Amazon.
Stream The Ron Clark Story on Peacock.
Stream The Ron Clark Story on Tubi.
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (2006-2007)
An inside look at what goes on behind the scenes at a sketch comedy TV show.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry TV shows: According to star Steven Weber, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was cancelled because of an in-network completion with the similarly plotted 30 Rock, but the dramedy from creator Aaron Sorkin is still remembered as one of Matthew Perry’s most acclaimed post-Friends efforts.
Buy Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip on Amazon.
17 Again (2009)
A dissatisfied family man (Matthew Perry) unwittingly makes a wish that he could be a teenager again and gets his wish.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry movies: While the majority of the film sees Zac Efron in the younger version of his role, 17 Again features Perry in his final big screen performance.
Rent or buy 17 Again on Amazon.
Go On (2012-2013)
A widowed sportscaster (Matthew Perry) reluctantly joins a support group for grieving individuals, with whom he makes surprising connections with.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry TV shows: From creator Scott Silveri, Go On was yet another NBC dramedy that did not make it past a full season, despite its witty, heartfelt writing and a great lead performance by Perry.
Stream Go On on Roku.
Rent or buy Go On on Amazon.
The Odd Couple (2015-2017)
After they are both kicked out by their respective wives, a pair of longtime friends — one more sloppy (Matthew Perry), the other more uptight and obsessively neat (Thomas Lennon) — struggle to live side-by-side in the same New York apartment.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry TV shows: Perry — who had previously imagined the idea of remaking The Odd Couple — is perfectly cast as Oscar Madison is this modernized update of the beloved 1960s sitcom inspired by Neil Simon’s classic play, which is also his most successful post-Friends TV series.
Stream The Odd Couple on Paramount+.
Buy The Odd Couple on Amazon.
The Kennedys After Camelot (2017)
In the midst of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Jackie Onassis (Katie Holmes) and her brother-in-law, Ted Kennedy (Matthew Perry) face more hardship.
Why it is one of the best Matthew Perry TV shows: In his final acting role, Perry portrays Ted Kennedy in The Kennedys After Camelot — a four-part miniseries that served as a follow-up to another eight-part event following the tragedy-stricken political dynasty from 2011.
Buy The Kennedys After Camelot on Amazon.
In more recent years, Perry mostly took a break from the spotlight, but would appear in Max’s Friends reunion special and, in 2022, released a candid memoir about his own struggles with addiction, called Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Perry’s past habits motivated him to help others overcome their own issues with substance abuse, having turned his own Malibu mansion into a rehab and recovery center. For that reason and his talent on screen, we're certain the actor’s wish to be remembered for more than Friends will be granted.
