This has got to be one of the most uncomfortable moments in Matthew Perry's career... The man even said so. Of course, Friends' Chandler Bing would likely have a field day with a scenario like this. But Matthew Perry, not so much. He was deeply troubled by this particular interview. Here's what happened...
The Ice Was Broken When A Celebrity Told Matthew They'd Never Seen Friends
Matthew Perry has been in the news a lot recently. First and foremost was his part in the HBO Max Friends Reunion special which aired at the end of May 2021. Because of that, many fans started to criticize his appearance and even straight-up worry about him. Then there was his assistant/daughter situation and his failed engagement and a host of other personal problems that the star would rather not talk about in public.
But back in 2016, Matthew Perry was under no such scrutiny. This made him feel more than comfortable to go on Britain's The Graham Norton Show to promote some of his work.
The Graham Norton Show is a great place for a celebrity to promote their work. Not only is it the most successful chat show in the UK, but it's also extremely laid-back. Sure, Graham likes to embarrass some of his guests and put them on the spot, but for the most part, it's about light conversation. Multiple celebrities are interviewed at once and alcohol is served. However, the energy of the couch can be shifted if there's a guest who likes to stir things up.
Enter Miriam Margoyles...
Fans of Harry Potter or Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet are sure to recognize Miriam. Actually, anyone who is a film or theater buff should, at the very least, recognize her. She's incredibly prolific and has been acting for decades. But you have to be a die-hard fan of Miriam to know just how outlandish, shocking, and downright hilarious she is.
In fact, Miriam may just be the best talk show guest around because she has no filter.
Upon first meeting Matthew Perry on Graham Norton's couch, Miriam admitted that she's never seen Friends. Her reasoning was that she hated the co-creator of the iconic sitcom when she met her years yearly.
"I really liked David Crane [but] I couldn't stand Marta Kauffman," Miriam told Matthew, Graham, Gemma Arterton, and the live studio audience. "I thought she was a monster. And they wrote Friends. I thought, 'Bugger it, I'm not watching that!'"
By this point, Matthew was visibly uncomfortable. After all, she was bad-mouthing the woman who basically made him a star.
"And that's the only reason [I haven't seen an episode of Friends]," Miriam said putting her hand on Matthew.
"[Marta's] actually quite a lovely woman, I don't know what you're talking about," Matthew said awkwardly.
The Story That Made Matthew Feel Extremely Uncomfortable
The main reason Graham Norton has Miriam Margolyes on his show is that she tells the most outlandish stories that just so happen to be true... It was one of these stories that made Matthew claim that he had never been so "uncomfortable".
The story came out when Graham asked Miriam if she ever felt nervous when meeting a famous celebrity.
"I do sometimes [get nervous]. I remember when I was young and I met Laurence Olivier," Miriam said, before launching into a really inappropriate story on live television. "I used to collect autographs at the stage door and he came out. And I remember so distinctly that I started to cream in my nickers. I could feel it."
The look on Matthew's face at this moment was nothing but priceless.
It was like he had never heard anything like it before... Especially from a seemingly proper, elderly English woman... on live television...
Graham Norton burst out laughing and Matthew continued to seem genuinely shellshocked.
"Wherever we thought that story was going..." Graham laughed.
"I honestly don't think I've ever been more uncomfortable in my life..." Matthew admitted, causing Miriam to laugh. "I think that's the worst moment of my life..."
"Well, that's a lovely story, Miriam," Graham said. "Thank you for sharing."
"But I think that's a tribute!" Miriam exclaimed.
While Matthew was visibly and verbally uncomfortable when he heard the pay-off to Miriam's 'tribute' to Lawrence Olivier. It's likely he would've felt even more put off by some of the other stories she has shared on The Graham Norton Show. Over her many other appearances, she's shocked the likes of Will.I.am, Stanely Tucci, Dominic Cooper, and her Harry Potter colleague Daniel Radcliffe. But none of them have had the type of reaction that Matthew Perry did.