Friends: Why Chandler Went To Tulsa In Season 9

Chandler Bing memorably moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a brief time during Friends season 9, and there were behind-the-scenes reasons for his reduced screen time in the show. Matthew Perry played the cynical and sarcastic character for all 236 episodes of the NBC sitcom. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends ran for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2004. Miraculously, the series was able to keep all six core characters during the decade-long run, but that didn’t mean every aspect of the cast’s professional careers and personal lives went smoothly along the way.

Ahead of the show’s penultimate season, some of the characters’ lives changed forever with the birth of Ross and Rachel’s daughter, Emma. While Rachel was stuck in a weird love triangle between Ross and Joey, Monica and Chandler had hopes of expanding their own family by trying for a baby. Before the married couple learned that they were unable to naturally conceive, they were faced with a career change that put a strain on their relationship.

In the second episode of Friends season 9, “The One Where Emma Cries,” Chandler fell asleep during an important meeting at his workplace and accidentally accepted an offer to move to Oklahoma to run a division of the company in Tulsa. After failing to get out of the new gig, Chandler had no choice but to commute between Tulsa and New York City. Even though Chandler ended up quitting his job by the season’s tenth episode, it notably limited actor Matthew Perry’s screen time. Aside from being a fresh storyline, the decision for Chandler to transfer to Tulsa was highly speculated to be connected to the actor’s personal struggles.

Matthew Perry Was Busy Getting His Life Back Together

Since Friends ended a decade and a half ago, Perry has been outspoken about his issues with drugs and alcohol while appearing in the series. The actor already had a dependency on alcohol when he suffered a jet ski accident in 1997. Following the event, Perry became addicted to Vicodin and other drugs, resulting in a short rehab stint. His weight was noticeably fluctuating, and his co-stars attempted to provide any support necessary, but Perry’s life was spiraling. In 2001, Perry was still struggling, so he sought help from his family, which led to another rehabilitation period. He eventually returned back to his acting gigs, but getting his life to a happy place became a long-term mission. Despite not missing any episodes on Friends, he was given a less prominent storyline so that his health could be the priority.

Perry has since shared that he doesn’t even remember filming three seasons of Friends. Though he has fought for sobriety, Perry continued attending rehab as a way to continue his recovery. In recent years, the Friends alum has paid it forward to those who are suffering from similar situations. Perry is set to reunite with his former co-stars for an upcoming Friends special on HBO Max, but helping others is currently his primary focus.

Next: Friends: How Much The Cast STILL Gets Paid

About The Author

Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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