Wow, they almost RUINED Friends! And Matthew Perry saved it!

Fans know while Ross and Rachel were the exciting will they/won’t they viewers showed up for, Monica and Chandler were the strong beating heart they stayed for. Their relationship, and the way it changed both characters, is one of the best character evolutions ever on TV. Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry were just outstanding that entire run. And the writers nearly threw it all away for some cheap drama!

Guest star Lisa Cash spilled to TMZ on Monday that her 1999 episode was supposed to be something very different. Lisa guested on the Season 5 ep The One In Vegas: Part 1, and she basically wound up a featured extra, playing a flight attendant — but her part was originally much spicier!

Related: Entire Friends Cast Attend Matthew Perry’s Intimate Hollywood Funeral

She says after Chandler and Monica’s big fight in Sin City, she was supposed to play a hotel staffer who brought room service to him — and then they were going to hit it off, and Chandler was going to cheat on Monica with her!

Yeah, she was supposed to be the Chloe for Chandler and Monica’s own “we were on a break” moment! WTF?!

But Matty Perry saved the day!

Lisa says the actor went so far as rehearsing the scene, but then his instincts took over. He told the producers the scene needed to be axed, that Chandler just wouldn’t do this to Monica. Hooray for good guys saying NO! (Can you believe TV writers didn’t learn their lesson from this and tried it on The Office, too??)

It obviously would have been a much juicier part for Lisa (though perhaps a touch ignominious as well). But she told TMZ she ultimately thinks Perry made the right decision. BIG SAME! Who knows what would have become of the beautiful relationship if they’d let Chandler be such a jerk! Who is he, Ross??

Also, this serves as yet another reminder of how important Matthew Perry was to the show, how much of his soul he put in the Chandler character. We know he didn’t necessarily want to be remembered first and foremost for Friends, but we can’t help it. It feels like we have just pure, distilled Matthew Perry right there on the screen to enjoy over and over. And he was a good guy who never would have cheated on Monica Gellar, dammit!

Would YOU have been able to keep stanning Chandler if they’d turned him into a cheater??

[Image via Warner Bros/YouTube.]

The post <i>Friends</i> Shocker! Chandler Almost CHEATED On Monica -- But Matthew Perry Refused! appeared first on Perez Hilton.