# Friendly farewell (Matthew Perry - Numb)



## Revelation_old

*Friendly farewell*
Matthew Perry says goodbye to his 'Friends' role by choosing 2 new acting challenges.

Hal Boedeker | Sentinel Television Critic
Posted August 12, 2006

Friends ended two years ago, but Matthew Perry is just moving into the A.C. -- After Chandler -- phase of his career in a big way.

"When you've done something like Chandler [Bing] for 10 years, one of the goals is to find something that changes it up, gives you a different creative spin," the actor says in a phone interview. "I don't have to work. I look for things that I can use my brain."

Perry, who turns 37 next week, has found that challenge in two major television projects.

He plays the title character, a real-life teacher, in The Ron Clark Story. The movie premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on TNT.

Then Perry changes it up as a zany writer in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, the new series from West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin. That drama, a look at a sketch-comedy show in trouble, debuts Sept. 18 on NBC. But the pilot is available as a DVD rental from Netflix.

Perry describes Clark as "the nicest guy I've ever played'' -- and a stretch for that reason. "There's not much sense of irony to him," Perry says. "I was concerned I'd be able to keep it interesting."

Clark, who is opening his own school in Atlanta, says the actor succeeded. The teacher has seen the film five times.

"I'm extremely pleased by the performance," says Clark, author of The Essential 55. "I said, 'Why would you do it? You could do any movie or sitcom.' He said he read the script and started getting emotional 10 pages in. He said, 'This story needs to be told.' "

Clark says all the classroom scenes are factual. The movie depicts how the educator reaches Harlem sixth-graders who are supposedly beyond hope. While raising test scores, Clark teaches his class respect and self-worth.

On his fifth viewing of the film, Clark watched with his former students. "They loved it," he says. "It was emotional for them. It's not so much my story. It's their story."

In those emotional scenes, Perry works with young actors who pull off the students' transformation.

"These guys really steal the movie, as far as I'm concerned," Perry says. "They're real professionals. They brought distinctive personalities to the roles. I was kind of like the pitcher in The Ron Clark Story. These kids would come up to the plate, and I worked them."

Perry credits director Randa Haines with keeping the film from turning mushy. He wanted to work with her because he admired Children of a Lesser God, her 1986 film that brought Marlee Matlin the best-actress Oscar.

"She's a wonderful actors' director," Perry says. "There's a cornball factor that could be prevalent. She kept the performances real so it didn't go into that."

Perry points to Sorkin's writing as the big lure for jumping into Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

"Upon finishing the 72-page script, I thought, 'I guess I'm going to do a TV show,' " Perry says. "There's not much Chandler there. He's a darker guy, a mess but a brilliant writer who's kind of politically motivated. It's just a much more adult guy than I'm used to playing."

Perry seems to have a thing for playing troubled writers. He has filmed Numb, an independent movie. "It's a dark comedy about a messed-up writer who suffers from depersonalization," he says. "When he's stricken with this, he meets the girl of his dreams."

In meeting critics in Pasadena, Calif., Perry points to another incentive for doing the NBC series. He co-stars with Bradley Whitford, with whom he worked on The West Wing. Studio 60 will rely heavily on their teamwork. They're in the habit of finishing each other's thoughts.

"For whatever reason, we just have a good chemistry together," Perry says. "We both really love working and then love making fun of working and . . ."

Whitford adds: "Mocking other people."

Perry proceeds to mock Whitford: "He's a really funny, really good actor, and I'm funnier and little bit better."

So Perry hasn't put Chandler Bing behind him for good. But a bit of Ron Clark has rubbed off on the actor, too. Perry says he chose to play the teacher because the role scared him.

"It was a pleasure to make this movie, to call attention to this guy's wonderful work," the actor says. "He was a very helpful and inspirational dude."

-----------------------------------
News Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertai ... lmoviestop

This page exists for archive purposes only. DPSelfhelp.com does not claim copyright to Articles in "Depersonalization in the News" unless stated otherwise.


----------

