Biography of Matthew Perry
Matthew Langford Perry is an American and Canadian artist, screenwriter, star of the legendary sitcom Friends, which has been shown since 1994 for ten seasons and won the hearts of millions of viewers around the world.
He is also known for starring in the TV movie The Ron Clark Story, The Nine Yards, Dad’s 17 Again and others. Perry has expanded his acting career by voicing characters from The Simpsons and the computer role-playing game Fallout: New Vegas.
Actor Matthew Perry
In 1999, according to a rating from People magazine, he was ranked seventh among the fifty most beautiful people in the world.
Childhood Matthew Perry
The artist was born on August 19, 1969 in the American Williamstown, the hometown of his father, model and actor John Bennett Perry. He divorced his mother Suzanne Marie, a Canadian journalist, when Matthew was still a baby.
Matthew Perry in his youth
The woman and her son immediately moved to Ottawa, where she subsequently worked as a press secretary for the head of the government of the maple leaf country and married television journalist Keith Morrison. Matthew Perry has 4 half sisters and one brother.
Matthew Perry family
The school where Perry studied was located in the prosperous and fashionable area of the Canadian capital, Rockcliffe Park. He then attended the prestigious Ashbury Private College. At that time, the young man had two main hobbies – acting and tennis. He played in school plays, took part in and won more than once in junior tennis tournaments.
The beginning of Matthew Perry’s career
Dreaming of becoming an actor, at the age of 15, Matthew went to the capital of show business Los Angeles, where his father lived at that time. There he continued his studies at the Buckley School of Art, located in the urban area of Sherman Oaks. After graduation, Matthew refused to go to college, going against his father, wanting to act in films. After much debate, they concluded an agreement that Perry Jr. would have a year during which he must provide himself with a job and a decent income, then his father would no longer pester him with his studies. This must have given a boost to Matthew Perry’s career.
His first steps on the acting path were roles in the productions of “Our City”, “Wonderworker” (based on the work of Daniil Kharms “The Old Woman”), “The Sound of Music”. It is known that the Oscar-winning actress and singer Patty Duke praised his game and noted the promise.
Young Matthew Perry
Due to the penchant for improvisation and practical jokes developed thanks to his mother, he gained a reputation as a comic performer, resourceful, able to respond subtly and witty, feel deeper and be above simple buffoonery.
After working in the 1980s on various TV channels, Matthew intended to become a student at the University of Southern California. However, this plan did not materialize due to the fact that he was given a role in the TV series Second Chance. In the beginning, he was the main character at the same time as Kyle Martin. And then the format was changed, and Perry became the only main character of the television series, which changed its name after the release of 13 episodes to Boys Are Boys.
Then the actor participated in the show “Problems of Growth”, which was released as part of a program dedicated to providing assistance to children from the poor who suffered from violence, car accidents and found themselves in various difficult situations.
Matthew Perry Filmography: Career Development
By chance, at the age of 18, the artist appeared in the film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. Together with friends and girlfriends, the future actor was sitting in one of the cafes, where he tirelessly made his companions laugh. At the same moment, a producer was sitting at the next table, looking for new faces for the series, who invited Matthew to audition.
TV shows and movies with Matthew Perry are comedic
Since 1990, his frequent presence on the TV screen has become regular. He played on the sitcom Sydney, Beverly Hills, 90210. Later, he was seen as a main character in the sitcom Home Free, then he was cast in the drama pilot LAX 2194 about space.
Prior to the launch of the “Six of One” pilot project, which was later renamed “Friends”, Perry was initially unable to participate in the audition due to previous commitments to other filming. But, in the end, he still got the role of Chandler Bing, which made him famous. Along with partner Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani on Friends, he was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Comedy Series. But they then lost this award to comedian Ray Romano.
Matthew Perry is missing part of the middle finger on his right hand
After receiving wide recognition, Matthew has appeared in such films as Hurry, You’ll Make People Laugh (in partnership with Father John and Salma Hayek), Almost Heroes, Threesome Tango, Nine Yards (along with Bruce Willis), Rascals “and others.
Despite the fact that the artist is better known for comedic films, he played a lot of dramatic incarnations. In particular, his portrayal of a White House employee in the television series The West Wing earned him two Emmy nominations (in 2002 and 2003).
Also known is the directorial debut of the star of “Friends” – the drama “Clinic”, where he again starred with his father as a son who gives him his kidney. Matthew also played the main character, a teacher, in The Ron Clark Story, receiving Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her performance.
In 2006-2007, he played in an atypical manner for him in the drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “Helpless”, and in 2008 – “Birds of America”, “Steve’s End”.
Matthew Perry personal life
As far as we know, the actor is currently unmarried. He is a private person and prefers not to advertise his close relationship. After filming the TV series Friends, he was allegedly in a close relationship with Julia Roberts for a short time.
Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox played lovers in the series
From 2006 to 2012, the actor had an affair with actress Lizzy Caplan, which they managed to keep secret from the public.
Matthew Perry and Lizzy Caplan
The actor is a fan of the singer Sean Colvin, Tori Amos, the Indigo Girls.
Matthew Perry today
From February to April 2011, Matthew was the hero and co-author of the comedy show Mr. Sunshine on the ABC channel. From August 2012 to May 2013, he starred on NBC’s sitcom Ready! as Canadian football player Ryan King.
Matthew Perry does not have a wife and children
In 2015, Perry, as co-writer and lead character Oscar Madison, appeared on CBS in the comedy The Odd Couple. This series was also renewed for a second season.
Once a sex symbol, famous for his talented acting, wit and puns (which were successfully used when writing the script for Friends), in recent years he has often upset fans with a clearly dismissive attitude towards his own appearance – he looked unkempt and much older than his years.
Not so long ago, he publicly admitted that he had been addicted to drugs and alcohol for about 30 years. In particular, while playing in the famous television series, throughout the 10 years of filming, he drank about a liter of strong alcohol and took up to three dozen drug-containing pills a day. At the moment, having recovered, the actor created a rehabilitation center for drug addicts and alcoholics.