Chandler Bing

Chandler Muriel Bing was born April 8, 1968. Chandler is the son of erotic novelist Nora Tyler Bing and cross-dressing, homosexual burlesque star Charles "Helena Handbasket" Bing, who performs his all-male burlesque show, 'Viva Las Gay-gas' in Las Vegas, where he lives. Throughout most of the series, Chandler is an executive specializing in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration, occupying high-grade positions such as Processing Manager and head of office. He frequently complains about his dislike of his job, and quits in Season 9, finding employment as a Junior Copywriter in an advertising agency. Chandler is Ross Geller's best friend throughout and since college. He met Ross's sister Monica Geller and her friend Rachel Green while celebrating Thanksgiving 1987 at the Geller family residence during his first year at college. He later moved to apartment #19 in New York City, across the hall from Monica.

At some point during this time Phoebe Buffay moved in with Monica and Kip became Chandler's roommate. Kip and Monica dated for a while, but later broke up, and could no longer stand to be in the same room as each other. Chandler's next roommate, Joey Tribbiani, completed the group of friends. Chandler lived with Joey until season 6, when he moved in with Monica, whom he had been dating for a year. Chandler is one of the wealthiest friends, because he has been saving money from his job for the last six years. He becomes angry when Monica expects him to spend his savings on her dream wedding, convincing her that they should save the money for their life after the wedding. Because of the Thursday night line-up that led with Friends, Thanksgiving was always an important episode for the series. Chandler's most vivid memory of Thanksgiving is when he was nine years old, when his mother and father told him that they were getting divorced so his father could run off with the house-boy. Because of this, Chandler refuses to celebrate Thanksgiving in the traditional way. This includes a ban on all Thanksgiving food, as he insists that it's not as good after seeing a Thanksgiving dinner in reverse. His Thanksgiving dinner consists of tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a family-size bag of Funyuns. Several Thanksgiving episodes include retellings of this back story of Chandler's home life and his hatred of the holiday. Joey goes so far as to say, "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Chandler bumming us out!"

    I say more dumb things before 9 a.m than most people say all day.

 Later on, perhaps thanks to his more positive view of family events due to his relationship with Monica, he accepts Thanksgiving. He still refuses to eat the actual food, even when dining with his friends, eating chicken instead of turkey and other things of that nature. Chandler visits the Geller household for Thanksgiving again in 1988, slightly dismissed by Judy, Ross and Monica's mother, because he does not eat any Thanksgiving food. While attempting to get back at Chandler for calling her fat the previous year, Monica accidentally dropped a knife through Chandler's wicker shoes. Chandler lost most of the pinkie toe on his right foot because it couldn't be replaced, due to the fact that Monica accidentally brought a baby carrot to the hospital instead of the toe. This incident led Ross to call Chandler Sir Limps-a-Lot. Chandler is not aware that it was Monica's revenge-gone-bad that caused him to lose his toe until she tells him during Thanksgiving dinner ("The One With All The Thanksgivings"). Monica reveals that Chandler has a third nipple, which Chandler describes as a nubbin, after she learns that Chandler told Phoebe about her having sex with Fun Bobby on the balcony. The friends are amused at the secret, and they tease Chandler about it.

Finally, Chandler has the nubbin surgically removed after Ginger, a would-be lover, is repulsed by it. Chandler was a bed-wetter as a child. While supporting Rachel during her parents' divorce, he jokingly recommends the, "carefully regimented program of denial ... and, and wetting the bed," which he himself relied on as a child ("The One With The Two Parties"). Throughout the run of the show, Chandler comments how much he dislikes physical exercise. However, he is often seen enjoying Knicks games with Joey and Ross. He also enjoys watching ice hockey, football and baseball. He even enjoys racquetball. It's often alluded that Chandler doesn't really enjoy these things; he just wants to seem like one of the guys. In Season 10, it is revealed that he once tried out for his high school figure-skating team, much to the amusement of Phoebe and Ross. On Thanksgiving, he enters the room saying he wants to watch football. Phoebe responds, "It's okay. Ross and Joey aren't here. You can watch the parade if you want." Chandler demonstrates excellent tennis skills and ping pong skills, the latter he hides from Monica due to her childish competitiveness. Although it became less noticeable during the course of the show, Chandler has the habit of accenting the wrong words in his sentences. This leads to his friends and colleagues imitating his speech pattern.