After NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt announced that the cast of "Friends" were finally getting back together for a reunion to celebrate director James Burrows, who recently shot his 1000th TV episode and celebrated his 75th birthday, it appears actor Matthew Perry will not be able to join in.
However, according to a report from Entertainment Weekly, the actor has responded and confirmed that he will still be a part of the reunion, just not in the way fans had been hoping for. Perry explained that he could not come in to film his scenes due to his rehearsal schedules for the play he is doing in London, "The End of Longing."
Despite this, the report did confirm that Perry revealed on "The Graham Norton Show" that he will still be a part of the reunion in some form.
"It's not the 'Friends' reunion everyone is hoping for," Perry stated. "They are celebrating Jim Burrows, who was a director of 'Friends,' and the five of them are going to be on this special, and I'm going to introduce them from here, because I'm doing the play here, so I can't be there."
The other five cast members, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc, will also be returning to reprise their roles in the two-hour reunion special. The exact structure of the reunion is still unknown but it is speculated to feature the main characters while also highlighting Burrows' career.
James Burrows, whom the special is being dedicated to, was responsible not only for directing "Friends" but also episodes of "Cheers," "The Big Bang Theory," "Will and Grace," "Third Rock from the Sun," "Frasier" and "Mary Tyler Moore." Burrows is recognized as one of the most influential television directors of the modern age.
Taping for the reunion episode will be this coming Jan. 24 and is set to air on Feb. 21.
