With the untimely passing of Matthew Perry at age 54, tributes have begun pouring in for the man immortalised by Friends.
As Chandler Bing, the 21st-century sitcom archetype was set. He effectively walked so equally-beloved wisecracking characters like John Krasinskiโs Jim Halpert (The Office) could run.
But to paraphrase Indiewireโs Ben Travers, while Perryโs sarcasm slingshot him into the oft-turbulent stratosphere of superstardom, it was his sincerity that made him a giant. Which is why his greatest role wasnโt Friends. It was โ to my sincere belief โ the lesser-known biopic Triumph: The Ron Clark Story.
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Now I wonโt lie. This made-for-television flick based on the deeds of real-life educator Ron Clark is as cookie-cutter as it comes (and tropes galore): a maverick teacher challenges himself by accepting a post at an inner-city high school where he overcomes the emotional barriers of underprivileged youth and inspires them to pursue a brighter future.
But this was also where Matthew Perryโs โsuperpowerโ was most evident โ you empathised with the other on-screen players; you saw yourself in whoever he brought to life and genuinely rooted for him. In a world filled with unapproachable leading men who resemble ideals to eternally strive towards rather than actual human beings, Perry brought things down to Earth.
The merits of his performance as Ron Clark transformed what was originally a schlocky and overly sentimental release destined for the bargain bin into something far more. Something with emotional dimensions. Something that I believe deserves to be in the same conversation as bigger-budget hits like The Pursuit of Happyness, Remember The Titans, and especially The Blind Side.
Triumph: The Ron Clark Story would be followed up by another criminally underrated (and shortlived) televised effort, this one from West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, dubbed Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. Itโs a must-watch for all the fans of Perry, Sorkin, and dare I say it, quality television in general.
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This precursor to the future Social Network scribeโs widely-acclaimed HBO series The Newsroom โ right down to the recycled story beats; Quixotic diatribes about social decency and the political landscape of America โ cast Matthew Perry as the head writer of a fictional Saturday Night Live equivalent.
Similar to Friends and Triumph, Perryโs Matt Albie served as the crucial grounding element. No matter how fanciful the storyline, how ridiculous the dialogue, or how broad his co-starโs acting choices were, the man was something you could tether yourself to for the journey ahead.
Thatโs what weโll hopefully remember him for above all else.
