The Big Picture
As we mourn and recover from the shocking loss of Matthew Perry, revisiting his roles is a great way of remembering how extremely talented an actor he was. He will forever be remembered primarily for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, but that’s far from his best work, actually. Don’t get us wrong, he really was the linchpin of that series and Chandler is a superstar. However, it was in the short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip that Perry truly put his acting skills on display and showed us what he was capable of. The Aaron Sorkin series follows the making of a live comedy sketch show, in the vein of Saturday Night Live, with Perry playing Matt Albie, one of the executive producers and head writer who tries to keep the whole series from collapsing alongside his producing partner Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford).
A behind-the-scenes look at a fictional sketch-comedy television show.
Release Date September 18, 2006
Cast Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, Steven Weber, D.L. Hughley, Sarah Paulson, Nathan Corddry, Timothy Busfield
Main Genre Drama
‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ Allowed Matthew Perry to Utilize All of His Talents
By now, the Aaron Sorkin formula is pretty well-established. Long hallway conversations filled with witty remarks, a scene in which someone gives a passionate speech on the importance of whatever they are doing at that moment, a couple locked in heated arguments as a way of disguising the feelings they have for each other, and dialogues with quick cuts between a group of characters. That’s all part of it, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has it all and then some. The key element of what makes Sorkin’s writing so good is how it’s conveyed on camera, and that’s where Matthew Perry shined in the series, delving deep into every different aspect of what made Matt Albie such a troubled person, yet still the best man for his job.
As the story goes, Matt Albie and Danny Tripp have been friends and partners for a long time. They even worked on the in-series show Studio 60 before, but were fired due to creative differences with some of the big stars. Four years later, Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet), the network’s newly-hired President of Entertainment Programming, decides to get Albie and Tripp back, giving them free rein over the show to completely revamp it. The big stars that got them fired all those years ago are still there, as well as the main star and Albie’s ex-girlfriend Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson), so the general vibe on set is just wonderful—the typical stormy setting of a Sorkin series. That’s where the actors get to shine.
Matthew Perry Brings the Perfect Energy to His Character’s Relationships in ‘Studio 60’
Matthew Perry displays amazing chemistry not only with Whitford and Paulson but with every actor in the cast. Everything we know he can do from his time as Chandler Bing in Friends is there, like the sarcastic remarks and emotional warmth, but with so much drama and great dialogue all around him. Perry makes it seem easy to be this good. His primary relationship is with Danny Tripp, his best friend/partner. They just have to figure out a way to keep the show on air, as everyone’s careers are on the line. These two characters feel like they are engaged in a perpetual jam session, talking over one another as if they could read each other’s thoughts. They also are each other’s safety nets for the areas of their jobs outside the other’s purview. For example, while Matt is the head writer and always deals with the cast directly, Danny acts as the buffer with the corporate executives who want to make sure the show is profitable for the network. Additionally, Danny has issues with alcohol and drugs, and Matt’s support is something only someone who truly understands the dangers of addiction could portray with such sensibility and warmth.
But, the warmth and wholesomeness melt away when it comes to Sarah Paulson’s Harriet. (Well, the warmth is still there, but Matt does his best to hide it.) Being recent exes, the two of them are clearly not over each other. The fact that they’ve just become co-workers means they’re starting to understand they probably never will. It’s extremely frustrating for them, resulting in initially tender moments when they are by themselves that evolve into tempestuous exchanges in the middle of the set and in front of their co-workers. Still, there are always underlying strong feelings everyone else but them can see due to the fact that they always let them out at the wrong time, like when Harriet gifts Matt a signed baseball bat that was given to her by a Dodgers player who was actually asking her out, but she didn’t realize he had left his phone number under his autograph. It was an honest mistake, but enough to trigger an emotional hurricane. It’s one of the best will-they-won’t-they relationships in television this century—it’s too bad it lasted only one season.
‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ Allows Matthew Perry to Address His Real Issues in a Strong and Emotional Way
It’s no secret that Matthew Perry struggled with substance abuse throughout his life. He was very open about this subject and spoke publicly in support of those facing the same problems, turning his Malibu house into a men’s sober living facility. In Friends, Perry never got to address his issues in an artistic way. However, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Aaron Sorkin, who also struggled with addiction, allowed Perry the proper space and story to do so, and he didn’t shy away. Perry’s Matt Albie always puts the issues Bradley Whitford’s Danny faces in perspective. At the same he’s dealing with his best friend, that’s also his co-worker and an executive producer on a show they need to succeed. They both face the pressures of their ends of the producing deal, and this inevitably involves impulses and relapses, as is natural for anyone who has struggled with addiction. But, the sort of sensibility that Matt displays towards Danny is only possible because both Perry and Sorkin understand how society deals with these issues as much as how it should deal with them.
One particularly powerful moment is when Matt Albie is confronted by his assistant Suzanne (Merritt Wever) about his own drug use, which he claims is only to help him get through dealing with the pressure of work and his jealousy over Harriet seeing someone else. Suzanne talks about her history with addiction, recalling how her mother fought through it, and Matt is completely taken aback. His reassurance is almost like a reflex and very steady, but you can’t help but worry about him and sympathize with Suzanne’s position.
‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ Is Matthew Perry’s Best TV Role for One Major Reason
The defining trait of Aaron Sorkin’s writing is dialogue. There’s always so much of it; sometimes we have to take a breather a go over it again to make sure we got everything. If it’s a lot as viewers, we can only imagine how it must be for the actors to perform long takes with so much to say. Plus, Sorkin is known to be adamant about how his dialogue should be spoken. You have to be great to work under these conditions, and Matthew Perry showed exactly how to perform Sorkin’s dialogue in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
Perry has always been beloved for his comedic timing. Chandler wouldn’t be half as funny with another actor playing him. It’s Perry who understood that what makes people laugh is not the joke itself, but how and when it’s delivered. Sorkin’s dialogue is very similar to that. (People even try to get it on viral social media posts because, let’s be honest, it looks and sounds cool.) It’s filled with Sorkin’s trademark snarky humor, but his concern about having it delivered exactly how he wrote it makes it all as much about timing as it is about memory and emotion. Perry’s abilities fit like a glove in this context, and he had already shown his ability to handle Sorkin’s writing before in The West Wing with a much more serious role.
Unfortunately, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip lasted for only one season. Many factors were involved in its cancelation—from its similarity to 30 Rock to how expensive its episodes were to record—but, despite that, the series still managed to end on a high note. Perry’s last scene as Matt Albie is extremely emotional, looking at the clock that shows the time remaining until the next show, promising he’ll make a friend out of it. Danny always told him “It’s just a clock,” but we know how important time is in this context. Seeing it reach zero is always as relieving as it is nerve-wracking. Given the hurricane that hits the studio every week and what we know about Perry’s life and work, it’s the perfect way to pay tribute to someone who may have been troubled, indeed, but was also a wonderful artist and a helpful person.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is available for streaming exclusively on Prime Video in the U.S.
Watch on Prime Video
