How Matthew Perry Saved John Stamos During A Humiliating Friends Moment

The death of Matthew Perry has left many stars in Hollywood recalling special moments they shared with the late "Friends" actor. Everyone from Perry's TV mom (Morgan Fairchild) to his many onscreen loves (Maggie Wheeler, Paget Brewster) recalled working with him on the NBC sitcom. The consensus was that not only was Perry extremely talented, but he was a really nice guy. "He was kind, he was lovely, he was funny, he was sweet. He was a dream to work with," Perry's "Whole Nine Yards" co-star Rosanna Arquette told People.

One example of that kindness came from "Full House" star John Stamos via an Instagram post following Perry's death. He explained that when he made a surprise cameo on "Friends" in 2003, Perry assured him the audience would greet him with a loudly positive reaction when his character made his entrance into Chandler (Perry) and Monica's (Courteney Cox) apartment. But instead, the audience remained awkwardly silent. As in crickets. "I was so embarrassed," Stamos admitted, before revealing how Perry helped him save face. "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: '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 actor added that he would never forget Perry's kind gesture.

"Friends" was known for its A-list guest stars. When Brad Pitt turned up for a Thanksgiving episode, "The One With the Rumor," the audience erupted in cheers. Ditto for the Season 6 episodes where Bruce Willis guest-starred. In 2003, John Stamos appeared in the "Friends" episode "The One With the Donor", playing Zack, a work colleague of Chandler Bing's whom he eyes as a potential sperm donor for him and Monica. While his scene is funny –- Stamos' character is grilled about his genetics, family history of mental illness, male pattern baldness, and his teeth -– the actor's surprise at the lack of reaction when he enters the apartment is noticeable. In the end, Monica nixes the plan to ask Zack to be a sperm donor, simply because he isn't her beloved Chandler.

In a 2021 video interview with "Access Hollywood," Stamos described the moment when his character entered the scene. "I open the door and I walk in and ... silence," he said. "Matt just says the line, and then we move on. I remember being sort of heartbroken; they were all waiting for the people to clap in the audience and they didn't. That's what I remember."

But while Stamos was a little hurt by the audience's apathy, he later embraced his role. In honor of the "Friends" reunion in 2021, he posted a still photo of him and Cox from the episode on his Facebook page. "In honor of @friends reunion – 'The Donor that got away' Imagine what our kid would look like," he wrote.