Summary

• Matthew Perry's character on The West Wing, Joe Quincy, was underused despite making a lasting impact and receiving Emmy nominations.
• Quincy's storyline involved uncovering a scandal and negotiating the retirement of a close friend, showcasing Perry's dramatic acting skills.
• Perry's commitments to Friends prevented him from taking on a larger role on The West Wing, limiting his opportunities for more dramatic projects.

Matthew Perry impressed with his brief stint on NBC’s political drama The West Wing but the Matthew Perry West Wing character was totally underused. The West Wing had a lot of great characters come and go after just one season or a handful of episodes. In fact, it was such a common thing that the trend even had its own name in The West Wing fandom; "going to Mandyville." This is a nod to the abrupt departure of Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) after season 1, with the term referring to West Wing characters whose tenure ended suddenly and without explanation.

Joe Quincy, Matthew Perry’s West Wing character, was a victim of going to West Wing's Mandyville too. Succeeding Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) as Associate White House Counsel to President Bartlet’s istration, Quincy appeared in just three West Wing episodes before disappearing into TV oblivion. Still, as short-lived as Perry’s West Wing role was, the Friends star made an impact with what little time he had on the show, becoming a fan-favorite and being nominated twice for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy. Nevertheless, despite the accolades, the Matthew Perry West Wing character was still significantly underused.

The Matthew Perry West Wing Role Explained

Matthew Perry Played Joe Quincy

Quincy’s first real day on the job came in Matthew Perry’s second West Wing episode, “Life On Mars.” This season 4 episode gave the actor a great storyline to work with as Quincy unearthed a scandal involving Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson, Child's Play) and the extramarital affair he had with a Washington D.C. socialite that forced his resignation. Quincy returned in season 5 episode, “Separation Of Powers,” as part of another great plotline that saw him negotiate the retirement of his former colleague and close friend, the ailing Chief Justice Roy Ashland (Milo O’Shea).

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The West Wing Didn't Use Matthew Perry's Dramatic Skills Enough

There's A Reason He Was Nominated For An Emmy

Brief as it was, Matthew Perry’s West Wing guest role – especially his final episode – gave him a chance to show off his dramatic acting chops in a way his role as Chandler Bing on Friends didn’t allow. Perry wasn't just a comedy actor, which is what most audiences might have assumed given how perfectly cast he was as Chandler, arguably the funniest Friends character. Perry was a great dramatic actor too, and his role on The West Wing was the best showcase of Perry's true acting range. Unfortunately, given his commitment to the hit sitcom, dramatic Matthew Perry roles are extremely finite.

Perry went on to score two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for playing Quincy, and it would’ve been welcome to see him get a more prominent role. Unfortunately, his obligations to Friends likely prevented him from taking on any other major regular TV roles, hence Joe Quincy went to Mandyville after “Separation Of Powers.” Following his Emmy nominations, if Perry had stayed on as a regular cast member of The West Wing, it would have been valuable for both the series and Perry's career; Perry would have been considered less of a comedy actor, and he could have been offered more great dramatic projects too.