The world of sitcoms is full of crossovers and cameos, most often celebrated with a resounding round of applause from the audience. So, when Full House alum John Stamos had a cameo on Friends, a strong reaction could have been expected. But there wasn’t one – until Matthew Perry stepped in for a friend.
Friends mainstay Perry died suddenly on October 28, at the age of just 54. Tributes and stories have come flooding in celebrating his successful, if sometimes troubled, life. Recently, Stamos recalled the time he visited the set of Friends for a surprise cameo that was met with stony silence until Perry intervened.
John Stamos shares how Matthew Perry helped him during a ‘Friends’ cameo that went south
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Following Perry’s death, Stamos took to Instagram to reflect on his experience working with the actor on the set of Friends. It was 2003 and the sitcom was in its ninth season; by this point, Stamos’s usual stomping ground, Full House, had been finished for eight years, wrapping up eight seasons of wholesome humor.
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For the episode in question, Stamos played a potential sperm donor, Zach, for Monica and Chandler. The pair invited Zach over for dinner so they could better assess his qualities.
“Matthew and I had been friendly long before ‘Friends,’ so when I guest starred as Zach, the prospective sperm donor for Chandler and Monica, I hung with him a lot,” shared Stamos. “Standing backstage, ready to make my entrance, Matt whispers, ‘The audience is going go crazy when they see you! Get ready for some loud screams.'”
“I walk through the door… silence,” Stamos added. “I was so embarrassed.” Then, in came Perry to the rescue.
Matthew Perry was a friend to John Stamos
The situation was gut-wrenching for Stamos. “We finish the scene and as I start to slither back to my dressing room and quit showbiz, Matt walks over to the studio audience,” he continued. Perry went to the crowd and told them, “Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John Stamos! You guys probably didn’t recognize him at first because he’s so much better looking in person!”
The event happened 20 years ago but it made a world of difference to Stamos and his career – and it stayed with him to this day. In his tribute, Stamos fondly concluded, “I never forgot that and the world will never forget you.”
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