Matthew Perry’s Crime Comedy That Led to 1 of the Most Iconic Friends Cameos Is a Streaming Hit 26 Years Later

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Matthew Perry will be remembered for many things, but he’s best known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends. He also appeared in the film The Whole Nine Yards, which featured a memorable cameo by the cast of Friends.

Despite being committed to his NBC sitcom, Matthew Perry managed to also star in several films, including Three to Tango (1999) and The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Remarkably, 26 years later, The Whole Nine Yards found new popularity as a streaming hit on Tubi, according to FlixPatrol.

The movie quickly became popular on the free streaming service, landing at number seven in the Top 10. It outperformed several other recent additions, including the 2003 Western The Missing and the 2012 thriller Deadfall, which stars Eric Bana and Charlie Hunnam.

Jonathan Lynn directed the crime comedy The Whole Nine Yards, which was written by Mitchell Kapner. The film featured Perry alongside Bruce Willis, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Natasha Henstridge.

The story centers on Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky, a friendly dentist, who goes to Chicago to deliver a message to a mob boss. He soon discovers his neighbor, Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski, has a price on his head, putting Oz in danger.

Critics had a mixed reaction to the movie The Whole Nine Yards, giving it a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Most critics agreed that while the cast was enjoyable, the film’s predictable and simple plot wasn’t consistently funny enough to make it truly stand out.

Despite its flaws, the movie was generally well-received by audiences, earning a 64% approval rating. The crime comedy cost $41.3 million to make and ultimately earned $106.4 million worldwide.

The Whole Nine Yards Led to Bruce Willis Joining Friends as a Guest Star

The popular NBC sitcom Friends included many well-known faces during its ten seasons, both in guest roles and quick cameos. In Season 6, which aired from 1999 to 2000, Bruce Willis appeared in three episodes as Paul Stevens, the father of Ross’s girlfriend, Elizabeth. Paul initially disapproves of the age difference between Ross and Elizabeth, but he unexpectedly develops a crush on Rachel.

Let me tell you, Bruce Willis was fantastic on ‘Friends’. He absolutely nailed his guest spot and even won an Emmy for it! What really struck me, and he shared this in an interview with WIRED a few years back, was that he donated his entire salary from those three episodes to charity. Talk about a class act – a truly memorable performance with a heart of gold.

The wager centered around how well their comedy movie would perform. Matthew Perry strongly believed it would be a success, but Bruce Willis was less certain. As a result, Willis challenged Perry: if the film debuted at number one, Willis would guest star on Friends. The Whole Nine Yards did indeed open at No. 1, and so Willis made good on the bet with a cameo appearance.

The Whole Nine Yards is streaming on Tubi.

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2026-02-03 00:08