'Friends': Matthew Perry says Bruce Willis guest starred after a bet - Insider

• Matthew Perry revealed however Bruce Willis ended up impermanent starring connected "Friends."
• Perry said his "The Whole Nine Yards" costar wasn't definite the movie would beryllium a hit, truthful they stake connected it.
• Willis mislaid the bet, truthful helium appeared connected play six arsenic Paul Stevens. 

Matthew Perry said that Bruce Willis' Emmy-winning role connected "Friends" happened due to the fact that the "Die Hard" prima mislaid a stake to the sitcom actor. 

In his caller memoir titled "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," released connected Tuesday, Perry recalled gathering Willis done their roles arsenic Oz Oseransky and Jimmy Tudeski, respectively, successful the 2000 drama "The Whole Nine Yards."

Perry said that they developed a relationship portion moving connected the film, adjacent though helium was struggling with his alcohol and cause addictions astatine the time.

"There was a large quality betwixt Bruce and me," Perry said. "Bruce was a partier; I was an addict. Bruce has an on-off button. He tin enactment similar crazy, past get a publication similar 'The Sixth Sense' and halt the partying and nail the movie sober. He doesn't person the cistron — he's not an addict."

He continued: "Despite the partying, we were each pros connected that movie and managed to crook retired a immense assemblage pleaser."

"Bruce hadn't been definite the movie would enactment astatine all, and I'd stake him it would — if helium lost, helium had to bash a impermanent spot connected 'Friends.'"

"The Whole Nine Yards" went connected to marque $106 cardinal worldwide and go the No. 1 movie successful America for 3 weeks straight.

After Willis mislaid the bet, helium impermanent starred connected play six of "Friends" arsenic Paul Stevens, the begetter of a assemblage miss that Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) dated.

Over the people of the 3 episodes helium appeared in, Paul besides had a little romance with Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel Green. Willis' show adjacent resulted successful the prima winning an Emmy for outstanding impermanent histrion successful a drama series.

Perry and Willis reunited a fewer years aboriginal for a sequel to "The Whole Nine Yards," which flopped astatine the container office. 

"If 'The Whole Nine Yards' was the commencement of my movie stardom, it's just to accidental that 'The Whole Ten Yards' was the end," Perry said.

Regardless, Perry said that helium has fond memories of getting to cognize Willis beyond his movie prima persona off-camera. 

"Sometimes, astatine the extremity of the night, erstwhile the prima was conscionable astir to travel up and everyone other had gone, and the enactment was over, Bruce and I would conscionable beryllium and talk," helium said. "That's erstwhile I saw the existent Bruce Willis — a good-hearted man, a caring man, selfless. A fantastic parent. And a fantastic actor. And astir important, a bully guy."

"And if helium wanted maine to be, I would beryllium his person for life," Perry added. "But arsenic is the mode with truthful galore of these things, our paths seldom crossed aft that."