Chandler Bing works as a data processor manager. He comes from a wealthy background but his childhood wasn't happy. His mother writes erotic romance novels, loves all men and Chandler only sees her when he has to. His father also loves 'all men' and left them both to run off with their houseboy. Much to Chandler's 'joy', his dad is now the headliner in the gay revue, "Viva Las Gaygas." His parents broke the news of their divorce during one Thanksgiving dinner and he has hated the holiday ever since.
Chandler first met
Ross at college when they roomed together and set up a pop band of their own. It didn't go anywhere but they have remained best friends ever since. After college, he moved into the apartment across the hall from Ross' grandmother where Monica and Phoebe lived. He roomed with a guy called Kip who Monica dated but then they broke up and Kip left. He advertised for a new roommate and due to a neighbour called, Mr. Heckles getting rid of Chandler's first choice, he wound up living with Joey. They soon bonded over Baywatch and became more like brothers than just friends.Chandler wears his heart on his sleeve but he also learned at an early age to cover up any unhappiness and hurt by using his sarcastic, razor-sharp wit as a defence. This is never more obvious then when it came to his love life. A mass of contradictions, Chandler didn't want to end up alone but his almost phobic fear of commitment, a lot of which was due to his parents, meant he constantly found fault with every woman he met and then dumped them.
One of these women, was a 'serial dumpee' called Janice who everyone else in the group didn't like. She was very emotional, very clingy and had the most horrendous laugh imaginable but Chandler kept bumping into her, going back out with her and dumping her again and again. Eventually though, he actually fell in love with her, although by this time she was married but getting a divorce and had a child. It ended when Joey told him that he'd seen Janice kissing her estranged husband.
Chandler then fell heavily for a girlfriend of Joey's called, Kathy. They eventually got together but then, it too, ended when she also cheated on him. He took the break up hard as he had thought that Kathy was, 'The One'.
Turned out though, that 'The One' for him had lived just across the hall the whole time - his best friend's little sister, Monica. He'd always seemed to have a soft spot for her but never seriously acted on it - just hinted here and there. They started a secret affair after a drunken night in London and he rapidly fell for her. As their love grew, so did he and he's matured into a happy, contented man. After dating for a year they moved in together and then a year later he proposed - she accepted.
Everything was fine until the day before the wedding when Chandler got a severe case of bad nerves. Whenever anyone called them, the 'Bings', he freaked out, thinking he'd end up like his parents. He went missing but Ross and Phoebe found him in time for the wedding and he and Monica are now happily married.
Although still hyper and sarcastic, especially where Joey is concerned, we now get to see the more sensitive and romantic side of him more frequently - it just took the right woman to bring it out in him.
CHANDLER QUOTE: "Gum would be perfection."
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