We have compiled the life story of actor Matthew Perry, who draws attention with his personal life and illnesses, as well as his outstanding performances in TV series and movies, from past to present.
His full name is Matthew Langford Perry, he was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was born to his Canadian mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, a journalist and former Canadian Prime Minister who served as press secretary to Pierre Trudeau, and his American father, actor and former model John Bennett Perry.
Perry, whose parents divorced before he was just one year old, was raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario. Here, Perry began studying at Rockcliffe Park Public School, then enrolled at Ashbury College. After the divorce, his mother married broadcast reporter Keith Morrison. Growing up, Perry had a great interest in tennis and became a top-ranked young player.
Deciding to move from Ottawa to Los Angeles to pursue acting at the age of 15, Perry continued to study at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, graduating in 1987. While studying at the same time, he began pursuing improv comedy at the LA Connection in Sherman Oaks. After graduating, he appeared in the sitcom "Second Chance" as Chazz Russell. After 13 episodes, the series was renamed "Boys Will Be Boys" with the plot refocusing on the adventures of Chazz and his friends.
Following the series, Perry made his big screen debut with the 1988 come-of-age drama film "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon." The film barely passed the production budget at the box office and was not well received. In 1989, Perry had a three-episode role in the ABC TV sitcom "Growing Pains," playing Carol Seaver's boyfriend Sandy, who died in hospital after a drunk driving accident.
The following year, he regularly took one of the lead roles, playing the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's title character in the sitcom television series "Sydney" on CBS. In 1991, he guest-starred as Roger Azarian in the teen drama television series "Beverly Hills, 90210" created by Darren Star. Perry took his next television lead role, with Marian Mercer and Diana Canova, in the ABC sitcom "Home Free," which aired only 11 episodes in the spring of 1993.
He then auditioned for the pilot of the TV sitcom 'Six of One', which was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and later renamed 'Friends'. Eventually, he won the role of "Chandler Bing" and became the youngest of the main cast at age 24. The series, which started with its first season on September 22, 1994, continued for ten seasons until May 6, 2004. The series, which has received great acclaim since its airing, has become one of the most popular television shows of all time. At the same time, the series received 62 Primetime Emmy Award nominations during its run. Additionally, it has been listed on several magazines' best series of all time lists.
With the show's huge success, Perry, along with his co-stars, rose to international fame, earning $1 million per episode by 2002 with the six-man main cast. He earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series with Matt LeBlanc in 2002 for his performance.
Meanwhile, Perry appeared in Andy Tennant's romantic comedy "Fools Rush In" with his father John Bennett Perry and Salma Hayek. The generally unpopular film was met with moderate success at the box office. In 1998, he co-starred with Chris Farley in the adventure comedy western "Almost Heroes" directed by Christopher Guest. The film, which received mostly negative reviews, was also a huge failure at the box office. His next unsuccessful production came with the romantic comedy film "Three to Tango" (1999), directed by Damon Santostefano. The film received negative reviews from both the audience and the critics, and it was not successful at the box office.
In 2000, he co-starred with Bruce Willis in the crime comedy "The Whole Nine Yards" directed by Jonathan Lynn. Released on February 18, 2000, the film was a moderate success at the box office, despite mixed reviews from critics. He later appeared with Elizabeth Hurley in the romantic comedy "Serving Sara" (2002), directed by Reginald Hudlin, and with Bruce Willis in the sequel "The Whole Ten Yards" directed by Howard Deutch. Both films failed to achieve both critical and box office success.
Perry also pursued a career in drama, notably playing White House Counselor Joe Quincy in the serial political drama television series "The West Wing" created by Aaron Sorkin. He earned two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series three times, twice in season four and once in season five for his performance. He also appeared as attorney Todd Merrick in two episodes of the comedy drama tv series "Ally McBeal".
He also had the lead role in the TV movie "The Ron Clark Story" (2006), based on real-life educator Ron Clark and directed by Randa Haines. He received Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award nominations for his performance. Later, Perry made his directorial debut with an episode of season 4 of the American comedy-drama series "Scrubs" and guest-starred as Murray Marks, the operator of the traffic control team of a small airport.
From 2006 to 2007, Perry co-starred with Bradley Whitford as Matt Albie in the comedy drama TV series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" created by Aaron Sorkin. The critically acclaimed production was ranked on the list of the best programs overall and received a nomination for the Best Actor in a Series - Drama at the Satellite Awards for his performance.
In 2006, he began appearing in "Numb," a black romantic comedy based on a man suffering from depersonalization disorder. The film was released on DVD on May 13, 2008 and received mixed reviews. That same year, he played Morrie Tanager, a nervous man who has to deal with his siblings, in the comedy-drama indie film "Birds of America," directed by Craig Lucas. The following year, he co-starred with Zac Efron in the teen fantasy comedy "17 Again" (2009), directed by Burr Steers. The film received mixed reviews and was a commercial success at the box office for its production budget.
In 2011, he appeared in "Mr. Sunshine," a new comedy pilot based on Perry's idea for the show, as a middle-aged man suffering from an identity crisis, and the series. In March 2012, it was announced that Perry had signed on to star in the NBC comedy pilot "Go On," written and produced by Scott Silveri. In the series, Perry played sports announcer Ryan King, who is trying to move on with his life despite the difficulties in his life. The series, which premiered on September 11, 2012, was canceled after one season.
In 2012, Perry made a guest appearance on the CBS legal and political drama television series "The Good Wife" as attorney Mike Kresteva, and the following year, he reprized the role in its fourth season. He also starred with Michael Ealy, Regina Hall and Joy Bryant in the romantic comedy movie "About Last Night" (2014), based on the play written by David Mamet. The film received generally positive reviews and grossed $50 million at the box office.
That same year, Perry made his British television debut with the one-shot comedy show "The Dog Thrower", which aired on 1 May. Perry played the role of a "charismatic man" on the show, who wowed audiences by throwing his dog into the air. Perry co-wrote and executive produced the sitcom TV series "The Odd Couple" as Oscar Madison, which aired on CBS from 2015 to 2017. He played the role of Perry alongside Thomas Lennon.
Perry took the lead role in a new production of the black comedy play "The End of Longing" written by Perry, which premiered at London's Playhouse Theater on February 11, 2016. In March 2017, Perry reprized her role as attorney Mike Kresteva in "The Good Fight," a sequel to the CBS legal drama The Good Wife.
He then starred as Ted Kennedy in the TV mini-series "The Kennedys: After Camelot" based on the book in 2017. In October 2022, Perry published a memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing." The book managed to become a bestseller on both Amazon and The New York Times lists.
Private life
In 1995, Perry was in a relationship with retired actress Yasmine Bleeth. Until 1996 that same year, he had a relationship with actress Julia Roberts. Later, Perry was with actress Lizzy Caplan from 2006 to 2012. In November 2020, Perry got engaged to literary director Molly Hurwitz.
Perry, who holds both Canadian and American citizenship, is a fan of the post-apocalyptic role-playing video game "Fallout." In August 2018, Perry underwent abdominal surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation. In 2018, the news site Business Insider revealed that Perry's net worth is around $80 million. Perry became addicted to a drug called Vicodin after an accident in 1997. That same year, he went through a 28-day rehabilitation program and his weight dropped to 145 pounds (66 kg) within a few years. By 2000, he had lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg) due to pancreatitis.
Perry was honored with the Healing Champion Award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in May 2013 for opening the "Perry House," a sober living home located on his former mansion in Malibu. Perry, who later sold the house and closed the rehabilitation center in 2015, has been completely sober and drug-free since May 2021.
He was also listed in the "100 Richest Celebrities" list by Forbes magazine.