Maggie Wheeler Remembers Her On-Screen Boyfriend Matthew Perry

Actress Maggie Wheeler posted a photo of hers and Matthew Perry’s onscreen couple, Janice and Chandler, to Instagram as a tribute to Perry, who died on Saturday at the age of 54.

Wheeler wrote alongside the photo, “What a loss. The world will miss you, Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too-short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared. ♥️”

Wheeler, 62, was a recurring guest character on Friends as Chandler’s on-and-off girlfriend, Janice Hosenstein. The character is best known for her signature catchphrase, “Oh. My. God!”

Although Chandler eventually fell in love with Monica (Courteney Cox), a member of the core Friends group, Janice continued to pop up throughout their lives.

In a 2015 interview with EW, Wheeler said, “The writers created this fabulously weird character that you love to hate… this crazy girl who is not particularly self-aware who still gets to be at the party. This interloper, this outsider managed to find her way into this little community of friends, and I think that was a vehicle for a lot of viewers who were sitting around in front of their televisions going, ‘Well, how do I hang out with those people?'”

The 2021 Friends reunion special saw Wheeler and Perry reunite and discuss Janice’s distinctive nasally laugh.

On the special, Wheeler explained, “Matthew Perry is so funny, and the minute I set eyes on him and he opened his mouth I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m gonna lose it, I’m gonna crack up. This character needs a laugh because I’m not gonna be able to get through a single scene with this guy.’”

Several other co-stars have expressed their sadness at the actor’s death.

Paget Brewster, who played Chandler’s season four love interest, Kathy, posted a tribute on X. (In 2021, Brewster told uInterview exclusively about her secret battle to stay on Friends.)

Perry’s onscreen mom, Morgan Fairchild, also shared on X that she was heartbroken over the untimely death of her “son.”

Warner Brothers Television Group, which produced Friends, reacted in a statement on Saturday.

“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry,” the statement read. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family. The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heartbreaking day, and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.” 

The L.A. medical examiner has deferred a final judgment on Perry’s cause of death pending a toxicology report.