2023-10-29 23:55:47
Fans of the series Friends put flowers outside the building where the protagonists lived, in the West Village neighborhood of New York (EFE/Sarah Yáñez-richards)
Matthew Perry was always a friend too. That was the feeling among fans of the American actor, known for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the comedy “Friends,” when they gathered this Sunday in front of the New York apartment building used in the filming of the hit series.
“I grew up watching him,” said Taylor Lanthier, 26, one of the participants in the pilgrimage, where many left flowers and farewell letters.
The 54-year-old actor was found dead on Saturday, and his death testifies to the staying power of “Friends,” a series that aired between 1994 and 2004 and continues to live on for all generations on broadcasts and streaming services.
The drizzle did not prevent visitors from paying their respects on the recognizable corner of the trendy West Village neighborhood where the six-story building sits, adorned in classic New York style with a brick facade and metal fire escapes.
Dozens of people came to leave flowers and heartfelt messages to remember Matthew Perry (Adam GRAY / AFP)
“I’m sure you can find stories of people moving to New York because of ‘Friends,’” said Chris Triebel, 39, who leads guided tours focused on TV shows and movies filmed in the city.
And part of that would be due to Perry’s Chandler character, himself a sarcastic twentysomething who long resisted growing up. “He has had a very important role in my life and he has always made me laugh a lot. It is sad to hear about his death,” says Lanthier.
“Chandler is a fun guy. He is loving. “He is someone very dedicated to his friends,” he added. “And that’s what I think Matthew was too.”
“I just wanted to pay my respects,” he said and placed a yellow rose next to a note left by someone else that read “Thank you for all the laughs.”
A Friends fan cannot hide her emotion after the death of Matthew Perry (Adam GRAY / AFP)
Like much of American pop culture, the series has been reevaluated by some in recent years, criticized for its lack of diversity or the simple, sanitized reality it presented.
It was also filmed in California, and the 90 Bedford Street building in New York was used as a set.
However, none of that stopped the West Village neighborhood from becoming a place of interest for people of all generations, who have been making the journey to the building for years, although Central Perk, the New York cafe where friends spent time , was also a product of the scriptwriters’ imagination.
Friends fans mobilized in front of the building where the successful series was filmed (Adam GRAY / AFP)
“It’s just a happy show,” says Eva, a 16-year-old student who lives nearby.
“It was something I watched when I was sad or just wanted to laugh for a while.”
A woman places a bouquet of flowers to remember Matthew Perry (Adam GRAY / AFP)
Triebel, the tour guide, had already planned a stop outside the building before Perry’s death, although the news gave the visit a somber air.
“This is someone who is definitely gone too soon,” he said. “I think he could have done a lot more.”
(With information from AFP)
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