Actor Sarah Paulson reminisced about the late Matthew Perry’s extraordinary kindness that helped land her a crucial role in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
The series, mirroring the workings of a live TV program akin to Saturday Night Live, offered a significant opportunity for both actors. Perry was transitioning from his renowned role in Friends, while Paulson was establishing herself through shows like Nip/Tuck and HBO’s Deadwood.
In an appearance last week on The View, Paulson described Perry as “one of the most generous people on the planet" as she highlighted his selflessness, emphasizing that he went above and beyond despite not being obligated to do so.
You can hear what she said in the video below.
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Paulson revealed the pivotal role Perry played in her securing the part, recounting a moment of generosity that helped her clinch the job:
“I was at a particular place in my career where I needed that job very desperately and he, because of his friendship with Amanda Peet, who was my best friend at the time, who was also on the show, they had done a movie together called The Whole Nine Yards."
“So he asked me to meet him in the parking lot for my final audition, and I got in his car and he ran the whole scene with me multiple times so that I could have, you know, a leg up on the other performer." And I did get the job."
Paulson added that she is forever grateful to Perry for “taking that extra time" because helping her was something, she said, he “absolutely did not need to do.”
She recalled working with him fondly:
“He was just the kind of person that if you made him laugh, or if you made him smile, you felt like you had really arrived. I had the great pleasure of making him laugh a couple of times and it made me feel really good. He’s a wonderful guy.”
People appreciated Paulson for sharing the memory and reflected on the late Perry and the two actors' work on the show.
Many actors have paid tribute to Perry since he passed in late October, particularly his former Friends co-stars.
Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel to Perry's Chandler, recently opened up about cherishing Perry's texts, expressing how they brought both laughter and tears. She shared how she stumbled upon a heartfelt text from Perry out of the blue, a moment she found deeply meaningful, and shared it with her social media followers.
Aniston's tribute follows a previous one by Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, as well as one from Courteney Cox, who played Monica.
LeBlanc said the memories he shared with Perry "are honestly among the favorite times of my life.” He went on to say that it was "an honor" to act alongside Perry during the show's 10-year run, adding that he will "always smile when I think of you and I’ll never forget you."
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