In Brazil, "Friends" actress remembers memorable scenes with Matthew Perry
The scene in which the character Janice appears hyperventilating with a paper bag upon discovering that her romance with Chandler had come to an end is among the most remembered from "Friends". Behind the scenes, however, the moment was almost interrupted by a fit of laughter between actors Maggie Wheeler (Janice) and Matthew Perry (Chandler).
Maggie Wheeler detailed this and other iconic moments from the series at a Quem Disse, Berenice? accompanied by CNN. At a press conference, she recalled the recording of the sequence and said that an unforeseen event turned the scene into one of her favorite memories alongside the actor, who died in 2023.
"A really memorable moment was when he [Chandler] finds out that I was kissing my ex-husband and he gets mad at me. It's that scene where I'm breathing into a paper bag because I'm hyperventilating," she said.
According to the actress, the team had rehearsed several times the moment in which Janice would begin to choke after inhaling a receipt hidden inside the paper bag. During rehearsals, Perry always repeated the same gesture before saying his line.
"We rehearsed this scene many, many times. In every rehearsal, Matthew would slowly lean over, squeeze the paper bag with a very subtle gesture, look at me and say: 'Is it true?'", he recalled.
In the recording in front of the audience, however, nothing went as planned.
"He picked up the bag and... poof!... the bag just burst. He was shocked, I was shocked. I was hiding behind the bag, trying my best not to burst out laughing, and he was looking at me, trying to do exactly the same thing."
Despite the surprise, Wheeler states that the memory was marked precisely by the complicity between the two actors.
"I love remembering that moment. I will always remember looking into his eyes and how we were both using all the strength we could to not burst out laughing and interrupt the scene."
Maggie Wheeler's Favorite Episodes
In addition to the paper bag sequence, Wheeler also highlighted other moments of Janice that she cherishes. One of them is the episode in which Chandler invents that he is moving to Yemen to end the relationship.
"She says, 'I'm going to write to you every day.'
Another highlight is the Valentine's Day episode, in which Janice discovers that Chandler still has memories of his ex-girlfriend.
"I love everything about this one. I love the candy hearts, I love the scene where he wakes up with my hand there," he said.
The actress also remembered one of her favorite lines, when Janice cuts Chandler out of all the photographs after the breakup.
"I like all of that and I love the fact that she gets really mad at him, cuts out his face from all the photos and says, 'Maybe you can use this as a puppet in your theater of cruelty'. I always thought that line was really funny. I loved saying that line. So I have a very special affection for that episode."
Coming with Quem Disse, Berenice?
With an appeal to nostalgia, the brand Quem Disse, Berenice?, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, launched an unprecedented collection with products co-created with fans of the series, who directly participated in choices such as colors, fragrances, textures and visual references present in the products.
Maggie Wheeler at an event in Brazil - Leo Franco/ Agnews
The collection brings together several Easter eggs and classic elements from the universe of Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe, transforming the production's notable moments into collectible items.
One of the big highlights is the palette inspired by the legendary Central Perk sofa. The packaging has a similar shape to the most famous cafe on TV and works as a support for other products in the line.
Another detail that caught the attention of fans were the multifunctional sticks inspired by characters from the series. Each item received colors and pendants related to one of the six friends in the group.
In addition to makeup, the collection also includes accessories and skincare with references to the series. The toiletry bag, for example, features charms inspired by classic symbols from the plot, while the moisturizer references the song "I'll Be There For You", the series' opening theme.
The collection is now available for purchase on Quem Disse, Berenice's official website and physical stores.
*The journalist was at the event at the invitation of Quem Disse, Berenice.
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Source: CNN