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Matthew Perry’s Favorite Matthew Perry Film—and What Made It So Special

Of all his iconic film roles, the 'Friends' star called this one his 'best.'
ByLogan DeLoye
NBC/GettyImages

Matthew Perry starred in roles that appeared on screen and found their way into our hearts the second he added his innate humor and signature inflections, qualities that remain synonymous with his name decades after his career began. 

From joking around with his co-stars on set to the final take, these characters wouldn’t BE as memorable or relatable without Perry’s energy and enthusiasm. 

Typically, when creatives discuss their most beloved projects, they highlight a more obscure production that deeply resonates with them, rather than a fan favorite. But for Matthew Perry, that wasn't the case.

The star, who passed away nearly three years ago, released his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," in 2022. In it, he revealed his favorite film, the one he proudly considered his "best," and fans would likely agree. 

MATTHEW PERRY'S FAVORITE MATTHEW PERRY FILM

The Friends icon, best known for his role as sarcastic sitcom sensation Chandler Bing, also took over the big screen in films including Almost Heroes, The Whole Nine Yards, and 17 Again.

With so many endearing characters and movies in his portfolio, it might seem impossible to single out a favorite, but Matthew Perry did: Fools Rush In.

This romantic comedy, released in 1997, starred Perry as Alex Whitman, a buttoned-up city contractor, and Salma Hayek as Isabel Fuentes, a free-spirited photographer with a heart of gold…and a positive pregnancy test after a night they shared.

Perry considered this his best role for several reasons, one being the cast and crew. 

CAST AND CREW

In his memoir, he mentioned that Hayek had several ideas to improve their chemistry; one was spooning, and another:

"There's one scene in which I'm professing my love for her. She suggested that we don't look at each other, rather, we should look out at our future together. After listening to this nonsense for about twenty minutes, I finally said: 'Listen, Salma,' I said, 'I'm telling you I love you in this scene. You look wherever you want, but I'm going to be looking at you.'"

In a 1996 interview with Access Hollywood, Perry expressed that he felt more connected to his character in Friends than in Fools Rush In because Alex Whitman was very put-together, an attribute Perry felt he didn't quite mirror in his personal life.

Salma also reflected on her experience on set, describing Perry as always "funny, " a quality both the actor and the film's director, Andy Tennant, agreed he embodied. In his memoir, Perry wrote:

"I was bouncing around doing my funny little things, and [Tennant] would take me aside and say, 'You don't have to do that. You're interesting enough to watch without doing that.' That line of thinking allowed him to pull out of me one of the best performances of my career. Could this be a different way of saying, 'Matty, you're enough,' the words I've been longing to hear my entire life?"

Fools Rush In wasn't a massive blockbuster and received moderate reviews when it was released. But in 2026, it remains a feel-good classic rewatch for rom-com lovers worldwide.

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