“Matthew Perry's Film Debut: The Forgotten River Phoenix Drama That Launched a Star” — what this page in the network covers. Before Matthew Perry became a household name as Chandler Bing on Friends, he made his big-screen debut in a little-remembered drama starring River Phoenix. The film, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, released in 1988, featured Perry in a supporting role as a high school friend of Phoenix's titul The film, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, released in 1988, featured Perry in a supporting role as a high school friend of Phoenix's titular character.
Directed by William Richert, the coming-of-age story was based on Richert's own novel and marked a pivotal early step for both young actors. While Phoenix was already an Oscar nominee for Running on Empty, Perry was a relative unknown, and the film's modest reception meant it never achieved the cult status of Phoenix's other work. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.