How Matthew Perry's Nerdiest Moment On Ellen Helped Lead To A Role In Fallout
"Friends" fans were devastated to learn that Matthew Perry tragically passed away at the age of 54. The actor made Chandler Bing, and his signature expressions, famous worldwide, definitely cementing the character as a sitcom great.
After "Friends" ended its historic 10-season run on NBC in 2004, Perry branched out beyond comedy. He impressed audiences with his heartfelt performance in "The Ron Clark Story," portraying the titular and kindhearted teacher. A few years after that, Perry played a wildly different character than Chandler and Mr. Clark, one who gamers are certainly familiar with.
In 2010, Perry voiced Benny in "Fallout: New Vegas." Benny is responsible for kicking off the story when he tries to kill the player's character (the Courier) at the beginning of the game. The villain is a snazzy dresser and loves saying the word "baby." Gamers will be interested to learn that Perry's immense love for the franchise helped him land the role. Specifically, one amazing interview with Ellen Degeneres likely helped him get the attention of Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks. In 2009, when promoting his movie "17 Again" and talking with Ellen, Perry unveiled a signed copy of "Fallout 3" and spoke about how much he loved the game.
"I played a video game so often that I injured my hands so severely that I had to go to a hand doctor."
Matthew Perry absolutely loved Fallout
Longtime fans of "Friends" will instantly notice the hilarious irony here as Chandler Bing messes up his hand playing Ms. Pac Man while at home. As it turned out, Perry was all about video games in real life, specifically the "Fallout" franchise.
After admitting to Ellen just how much he played "Fallout 3," Perry would go on to voice one of the main antagonists in "New Vegas" and the creators of the game had nothing but great things to say about the actor joining the franchise. "He's really, really enthusiastic and a genuine fan," J.E. Sawyer, the project director, noted in a behind the scenes mini-documentary. "'Fallout' is just bigger and smarter than any game that I've played," Perry explained, before bringing out some of that classic Bing energy by trying to assure the camera that he has a life outside of video games.
Many Hollywood stars have reacted to Perry's tragic passing. The actor's incredible performances in comedy will be remembered for a long time to come. And to gamers, Perry will always be Benny, baby.
Fallout: New Vegas fans react to Matthew Perry's passing
On the r/Fallout subreddit, fans of the game have come together both in mourning and in recognition of one of Matthew Perry's lesser-known — but arguably just as beloved — performances. "This is terribly sad," wrote u/evianstill, who added. "'Truth is, the game was rigged from the start,' is such an iconic quote from my childhood. R.I.P." Benny's nihilistic platitude is delivered during the opening moments of "New Vegas." u/HTPark echoed, "The New Vegas opening cinematic is practically the opening scene of our childhood as a movie."
Another user, u/riskyrofl, reflected on the actor's "Ellen" appearance specifically, writing, "It's really cool that we ever got him in New Vegas. I don't think it was a typical celebrity plug, the guy really just liked Fallout." They went on to conclude, "He did a fantastic job too, his opening lines are an iconic part of an iconic game." Several others noted circumstantial aspects that made this loss hit even harder, such as it taking place on the 15th anniversary of the original release of "Fallout 3" and the lack of info regarding the status of a potential "New Vegas" remake/remaster. Far more devastating than either of these facts is that Perry's death comes just a few years after that of René Auberjonois — the voice of Benny's rival, Mr. House. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 79.
Should the game be remastered for the new generation of consoles, it's possible both Auberjonois' and Perry's voice lines could be reused. For now, though, fans can always return to their old copies of the game to hear Perry say once more: "You've made your last delivery, kid."