Jesse Tyler Ferguson became well-known for his Emmy-nominated performance as Mitchell Pritchett onModern Family, and recently shared a touching memory of the late Matthew Perry in an episode of hisPodcastDinner’s On Me. The podcast episode, which featuredFriendsstar Lisa Kudrow, briefly touched on Perry, with Ferguson sharing an anecdote from the early days of his career. Highlighting Perry’s inherent kindness and charm, Ferguson described an anxiety-filled moment on set before Perry helped to soothe his nerves.
Ferguson recalled his experience filming the sitcomThe Classin 2006, in which the taping of the episode he was in that day was a more stressful environment than usual. TheModern Familyactor described that Perry’s visit to the set happened when Ferguson was struggling with the pressure of landing a joke almost perfectly, with the actor saying:
“Matthew Perry came to one of our tapings one night. He was in between scenes, and there were scenes that weren’t going well. The writers do that thing where if a joke doesn’t land, they all huddle and come up with a new blow for the joke, and they come over and spit it out to you, and you have to memorize it really quickly. If you start to go off on the wrong words or with the wrong punchline, [director] Jimmy Burrows stops you so you don’t ruin the joke. It’s a high-stress situation.”
Matthew Perry’s Advice Became Part of an Enduring Legacy
While dealing with the intense situation (which is ironic, given that the show is a comedy), Ferguson tried to recall the specifics of the situation, saying,“I think it was a joke for me, actually, and I was having a really hard time nailing it.”He added,
“Matthew came up to [him] and said, ‘We would have this joke when we were shootingFriends: when things didn’t work out, we would always say, Oh, you can hear the traffic on Barham.’”
This advice is a reference to whereFriendsandThe Classwere filmed, as the silence of an audience due to a joke not hitting would allow people to hear the traffic outside. The small piece of advice may have seemed inconsequential at the time, but now serves as a fond memory for Ferguson. The actor reflected on this encounter on the podcast, saying,“It was a very special time just because I was overlapping with these people who were such titans to me.”Moreover, this recent story is just one of many touching tributes since Perry’s tragic passing in 2023.
10 Friends Episodes That Are Actually Really Dark
While it’s still a beloved sitcom, certain episodes of Friends are straight-up dark, making jokes out of grim storylines.
In stories like Ferguson’s, it’s clear thatMatthew Perry’s legacygoes beyond his iconic role inFriends. The way that Perry’s empathy, humor, and charm are evident in the retelling of what was once a tense and high-pressure situation for a still-fresh actor in Ferguson is especially poignant. For those who have met or collaborated with the late actor, it’s clear that he was a source of encouragement and warmth.
Modern Family
