Matthew Perry was paid a special tribute on Saturday Night Live just hours after news of his death broke. The actor hosted SNL in 1997. During last night’s episode, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, a heartfelt tribute card for Perry was prominently displayed in the closing moments.
As Entertainment Weekly pointed out, Perry hosted the comedy institution back on October 4th, 1997 alongside musical guest Oasis. During his monologue, Perry encouraged NYC residents to recreate the iconic Friends opening fountain dance. One of the sketches showcased that night was “Sarcasm 101”. In the segment, Perry taught his sarcastic delivery to a group of students, including Will Ferrell and Norm Macdonald.
Of course, SNL parodied Friends in the episode. In the sketch, Perry plays Joey. However, his imitation drops when he notices Colin Quinn, another cast member, playing Chandler in a way he finds too effeminate. Another comedic beat is that Chris Kattan, the shortest SNL male cast member at the time, plays the 6’1 Ross.
Perry became the fourth star from Friends to hit the stage of SNL. He followed in the footsteps of Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer, who both hosted in 1995 and Lisa Kudrow, who hosted in 1996. Jennifer Aniston later took the helm in 1999 and 2004. However, Matt LeBlanc has yet to make an appearance as a host.
Matthew Perry’s ‘SNL’ Tribute Came Just Hours After Reports of His Passing
According to the Los Angeles Times, Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home. First responders were called due to cardiac arrest. Law enforcement sources stated no signs of foul play and no drugs were found at the scene.
Perry had a wide-ranging career outside of Friends. He appeared on TV shows like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On, and The Odd Couple. In film, he had starring roles in Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again. He also starred opposite SNL alum Chris Farley in 1998’s Almost Heroes.
In 2021, Perry reunited with his Friends cast members for a retrospective special for HBO Max. Last year he penned his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The book detailed his rise to fame and battle with addiction.
Meanwhile, the Foo Fighters made their ninth appearance on last night’s SNL. It was the band’s first SNL performance since the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins. To promote their latest album, But Here We Are, the Foo Fighters performed “Rescued” and “The Glass.” H.E.R. made a special appearance during the latter song. Christopher Walken was on hand to introduce the band for their first song of the evening.
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