Update: David Schwimmer is helping us keep our expectations reasonable in terms of that fabled, forthcoming Friends reunion. According to him, it can't actually be called a reunion.
"I mean, in no way is it a Friends reunion when one member is out of the country," Schwimmer announced at FX's TCA panel this Saturday, as reported by People. The event in question is a two-hour televised special in honor of the show's creator, James Burrows, set to air February 21 on NBC. All of the original cast members of Friends, aside from Matthew Perry, will be there for you.
"But look, it's a great event," Schwimmer continued. "We all love James Burrows and I'm sure Matthew Perry would be there if he could, but he's working in London. Maybe one day there will be [a reunion], but this will not be it."
This story was originally published on January 15 at 9:30 a.m.
Earlier this week, Friends fans got their hopes up when NBC announced that the cast would be reuniting for an upcoming special on the network. We had visions of all six members of the clique, in the same room, on the same screen, at the same time.
But alas, it's not to be.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the two-hour TV event — which honors legendary comedy director James Burrows — would be missing at least one character from the gang. And now we know who. Matthew Perry revealed last night that he won't be joining up with his former cast mates for the broadcast.
"It's not the reunion everyone is hoping for," the 46-year-old actor said on Thursday's Graham Norton Show, emphasizing that the program is about honoring Burrows, not revisiting Friends.
Perry will be participating to a small degree, though. "The other five [friends] are going to be on this special and I am going to introduce them from London. I'm doing the play here so I can't be there," he explained. Perry is set to debut his own show, The End of Longing, at the Playhouse Theatre in London on February 2.