Friends star Matthew Perry has joined the legion of the actors who have moved behind the camera lens, writes Debashine Thangevelo
THERE are some actors who are blissfully content doing just that for their entire career. That’s not a stain on their ambitions, by any means. They probably prefer to fine-tune their craft and be a director’s actor.
That said, though, it doesn’t hurt mastering other skills – especially when you have got the lay of the land, so to speak.
And more and more actors are leaping into other arenas of film-making. Some delve into scriptwriting, others directing and, what’s becoming a noticeable trend, executive producing.
What’s also surprising is the fact that not many actors, who are now wearing (more like juggling) different hats, make a big hoopla about it.
Jon Hamm (Mad Men), David Duchovny (X-Files, Californication) and Matthew Gray Grubler (Criminal Minds) display impeccable talent as actors. But the innate hunger to expand their repertoire in TV has led to them discover their knack for directing, too. And they have done so on the shows they have starred in.
Even Eva Longoria proved that she is a Jane of all trades. Not only is she working Hollywood’s big-screen circuit, she has doubled as executive producer and director on Devious Maids, amid several other projects.
Even Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, who play forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance “Bones” Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, respectively, feature on the executive producers’ credits on Bones.
How is this for another surprise – David Schwimmer found his feet in directing while on Friends. Since the series ended, he has spent more time behind the camera than in front of it. He even directed two episodes of Matt LeBlanc’s spinoff show, Joey.
Now Matthew Perry is making his mark as a budding executive producer, and he also co-developed his latest project, The Odd Couple.
Throughout his career, Perry’s flair for comedy has manifested in most of his projects, whether in movies (Three to Tango, The Whole Nine Yards, Serving Sara, 17 Again) or TV (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Go On).
He first navigated his way around writing, creating and executive producing with Mr Sunshine. Sadly, the comedy was canned after nine episodes.
But that hasn’t daunted his spirit. He is giving it a go once again with the reimagining of The Odd Couple.
Perry plays the role of Oscar Madison, a sports radio personality and hopeless slob, with Thomas Lennon cast as Felix Unger, an OCD neat freak who is a news writer and photographer.
Several years later, these college room-mates are sharing a place once again, following their failed marriages. But their reunion is fraught with arguments over housekeeping, relationships and other life issues. Then again, putting such polar opposites in one room is a recipe for comic anarchy.
On playing the character, formerly portrayed by the late Walter Matthau in the 1968 and 1998 movies, Perry offers: “Playing Oscar Madison is a dream come true, because he is a mess. I don’t have to worry about hair and make-up, I just show up. And he’s just a complete slob, but he’s got a good heart.
“It’s a slightly different character than I have played before. This character is sort of more like me than other characters; more laid-back and comfortable in his own skin… and a mess. “So, people see me in a different light, that’s for sure.
“And the chemistry between Thomas and myself is really good. We drive each other crazy.”
Describing their chalk-and-cheese personalities, Lennon adds: “Both Oscar and Felix represent to each other the incomplete part of themselves. Felix is utterly lacking all the spontaneity that Oscar has and certainly a tremendous amount of joie de vivre and Oscar brings that out in Felix quite a bit.
“And they expand each other’s horizon an awful lot during the series. But not enough that we don’t still have a lot of very fun fights.”
As the axiom goes: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” And, in doing just that, Perry has breached the boundaries of success – the show has been given the green light for a second instalment. Good on him!
• The Odd Couple airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101), on Saturday, May 30 at 6.30pm.
TRIVIA
• Matthew Perry’s The Odd Couple is the sixth spin-off to date.
• The Odd Couple first started as a Broadway production written by Neil Simon in 1965.
• The mismatched roommates proved to be so popular that it was adapted for the big screen, featuring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, in 1968. But it wasn’t as well received as anticipated. The two actors reprised their roles for the follow-on movie in 1998.
• In 1970, ABC turned it into a sitcom and it aired for five years.
• It also ended up as a cartoon in 1975. It was called The Oddball Couple.
• The premise was revisited once more in 1982 for ABC’s The New Odd Couple – this time it featured two black actors, Ron Glass (Felix) and Demond Wilson (Oscar).